Good morning from “chilly” Michigan, we certainly have seen enough snow to last us for quite awhile David and our granddaughter, Mia made a snowman yesterday. She loves the snow while grandpa can’t quite get warm.. he had forgotten how to shovel snow. What fun, she is such a joy. She is calling us grandma and grandpa now. We are loving our time with her and are beginning to learn all about the world of “Dora the Explorer”, her favorite! What a bundle of energy and by the end of the day, we are exhausted but happy! 
I remember when I was young the thought of staying in a motel for 2 months would have been exciting. I did appreciate clean towels and sheets but most of all those little soap, shampoo and conditioner samples. I saved them each day and have accumulated a huge bag of them that we’ll take to Haiti. As we checked out and thanked the clerks, I explained to the manager that I had been saving the samples to take to Haiti, she asked me to wait and returned with two large boxes of samples for us to add to our stash. God has put amazing people in our path since we’ve been home. Starting with the understanding insurance adjuster that secured lodging for us until the apartment was finished (who also happens to be a Christian), the builder (very interested in why we do what we do), gracious Holiday Inn staff that made us feel at home and were so encouraging and our wonderful families and church family. Our renters are moving out next week, please join us in praying that God will provide another great family to rent our home. We will be busy the next few weeks cleaning, painting and doing yard work (if mother nature cooperates).
My niece, Beth, died a few weeks ago. She was involved in a car crash in 1983 and suffered severe head trauma. Until the time of her death she had lived in a group home in Ohio. The last 27 years of her life our family has struggled with her injuries and the emotional toll it took on all of us. The young 16 year old we had loved was gone, replaced by what seemed a hollow shell. We have dealt with anger, frustration and guilt over the feelings we experienced during those years. Over the last few months preceding her death God was working on preparing us for letting go. My sister gave an amazing eulogy for her daughter that we all know came directly through the Holy Spirit. It was a tribute to her life, before and after the accident, and an admission spoken on behalf of all of us that has brought such healing to our family. Praise God! May Beth Jane rest in the peace and comfort of our father’s arms. I thank God for his wonderful timing that we could be here with our family during this time.
The devastation in Haiti is hard to comprehend. We see the news, magazines and know that it’s even worse to see this up close. We have been praying that God will continue to prepare our hearts and strengthen us to step up to the plate and do whatever is needed. The photos of all the tent cities and the orphaned children are heartbreaking. Yesterday I heard that nursing infants are dying because their mothers were killed and they have no milk. It’s so hard to understand the magnitude of what has occurred, over 75% of the population have lost their homes and 30,000 businesses have been destroyed. The relief efforts are moving along but there are many obstacles. To think of a city made of tents that houses thousands of people, I have trouble comprehending. It saddens me to see (or should I say not see) that the media doesn’t include much about the relief efforts in Haiti, it’s been 6 weeks and I guess they consider it old news. That is heartbreaking, as the rebuilding has yet to begin and so much work needs to be done. I hear from many that the spirit of the Haitian people is strong and they are survivors but I imagine many are still very traumatized and need reassurance. How frightening it must be to see your home crumble before your eyes or be unable to find family members. The World Hope office in Haiti employs a large number of Haitian workers and everyone of them lost their home, not to mention friends and family members. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.
David and I are feeling very… I can’t find a word that fits. Leaving Zambia, living in the US and on our way to Haiti, not sure where we belong. We miss the people of Zambia, not a day goes by we don’t reminisce about someone there. Driving in a snowstorm the other day I found myself muttering about the condition of the roads and realized immediately how grateful I am there are roads. Snow and Zambian “roads” would never work Life here is so fast… it seems we will never catch up. We know this is Gods’ timing, not ours but sometimes it is such a struggle to wait. We have been busy visiting churches and in our spare time beginning to learn French and Krio. Many Haitians speak some English but we need to be sure we are able to communicate with all the people we will be meeting. (Will I ever be able to use my Spanish)
We received a very special donation this past month. While visiting a small rural church in Michigan a young man (about 8) approached me and asked what we do and who do we work for? I tried my best to explain our work, that we go wherever God needs us and do what God (our boss) asks of us. I could see he was really processing that information and at the end of service he came up to me, reached for my hand and deposited all the money he had been saving for weeks from his allowance, 43 cents. As I struggled to hold back tears, I began to thank him but he interrupted to thank us for doing what we can until he’s old enough to go do it. Thank you to all the parents and church families that are teaching the children such wonderful values!
In order for us to go to Haiti we still need to raise the remaining 37% of our yearly budget. God continues to move on the hearts of people and churches as they prepare to make the decision to partner with us. We have learned that the size of a church’s congregation does not matter. It is the size of the congregation’s heart for the Lord that makes the difference. We appreciate each church and individual. God speaks to people to join our team from the most unlikely places. While home on furlough we do not receive a stipend, but have seen God work daily in providing for our needs. Please continue to pray that we raise the balance of our support so we may reach our target leave date in May. There is much work to be done in Haiti and we are anxious to begin. I hear many people expressing their desire to help Haiti, donations to our work will help us to help them! If God moves on your heart, you can partner with us by following these instructions. Thank you for your support and prayers, we couldn’t do it without you!
World Hope International
P O Box 96338
Washington, DC 20090
Make sure to mark our constituent number 28163 on the memo line of your check.
If you’d prefer, you can donate on line via www.worldhope.org.
You may also call World Hope to set up a one time or recurring contribution with a debit/credit card at 1-888-466-4673.
Blessings,
David and Beth
If you know someone who would like to be included on our email list, please ask them to forward their email address to us at missionsbeth@yahoo.com. If they don’t have email, we would be happy to include them on our “snail mail” newsletter list.
My niece, Beth, died a few weeks ago. She was involved in a car crash in 1983 and suffered severe head trauma. Until the time of her death she had lived in a group home in Ohio. The last 27 years of her life our family has struggled with her injuries and the emotional toll it took on all of us. The young 16 year old we had loved was gone, replaced by what seemed a hollow shell. We have dealt with anger, frustration and guilt over the feelings we experienced during those years. Over the last few months preceding her death God was working on preparing us for letting go. My sister gave an amazing eulogy for her daughter that we all know came directly through the Holy Spirit. It was a tribute to her life, before and after the accident, and an admission spoken on behalf of all of us that has brought such healing to our family. Praise God! May Beth Jane rest in the peace and comfort of our father’s arms. I thank God for his wonderful timing that we could be here with our family during this time.
The devastation in Haiti is hard to comprehend. We see the news, magazines and know that it’s even worse to see this up close. We have been praying that God will continue to prepare our hearts and strengthen us to step up to the plate and do whatever is needed. The photos of all the tent cities and the orphaned children are heartbreaking. Yesterday I heard that nursing infants are dying because their mothers were killed and they have no milk. It’s so hard to understand the magnitude of what has occurred, over 75% of the population have lost their homes and 30,000 businesses have been destroyed. The relief efforts are moving along but there are many obstacles. To think of a city made of tents that houses thousands of people, I have trouble comprehending. It saddens me to see (or should I say not see) that the media doesn’t include much about the relief efforts in Haiti, it’s been 6 weeks and I guess they consider it old news. That is heartbreaking, as the rebuilding has yet to begin and so much work needs to be done. I hear from many that the spirit of the Haitian people is strong and they are survivors but I imagine many are still very traumatized and need reassurance. How frightening it must be to see your home crumble before your eyes or be unable to find family members. The World Hope office in Haiti employs a large number of Haitian workers and everyone of them lost their home, not to mention friends and family members. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.
David and I are feeling very… I can’t find a word that fits. Leaving Zambia, living in the US and on our way to Haiti, not sure where we belong. We miss the people of Zambia, not a day goes by we don’t reminisce about someone there. Driving in a snowstorm the other day I found myself muttering about the condition of the roads and realized immediately how grateful I am there are roads. Snow and Zambian “roads” would never work Life here is so fast… it seems we will never catch up. We know this is Gods’ timing, not ours but sometimes it is such a struggle to wait. We have been busy visiting churches and in our spare time beginning to learn French and Krio. Many Haitians speak some English but we need to be sure we are able to communicate with all the people we will be meeting. (Will I ever be able to use my Spanish)
We received a very special donation this past month. While visiting a small rural church in Michigan a young man (about 8) approached me and asked what we do and who do we work for? I tried my best to explain our work, that we go wherever God needs us and do what God (our boss) asks of us. I could see he was really processing that information and at the end of service he came up to me, reached for my hand and deposited all the money he had been saving for weeks from his allowance, 43 cents. As I struggled to hold back tears, I began to thank him but he interrupted to thank us for doing what we can until he’s old enough to go do it. Thank you to all the parents and church families that are teaching the children such wonderful values!
In order for us to go to Haiti we still need to raise the remaining 37% of our yearly budget. God continues to move on the hearts of people and churches as they prepare to make the decision to partner with us. We have learned that the size of a church’s congregation does not matter. It is the size of the congregation’s heart for the Lord that makes the difference. We appreciate each church and individual. God speaks to people to join our team from the most unlikely places. While home on furlough we do not receive a stipend, but have seen God work daily in providing for our needs. Please continue to pray that we raise the balance of our support so we may reach our target leave date in May. There is much work to be done in Haiti and we are anxious to begin. I hear many people expressing their desire to help Haiti, donations to our work will help us to help them! If God moves on your heart, you can partner with us by following these instructions. Thank you for your support and prayers, we couldn’t do it without you!
World Hope International
P O Box 96338
Washington, DC 20090
Make sure to mark our constituent number 28163 on the memo line of your check.
If you’d prefer, you can donate on line via www.worldhope.org.
You may also call World Hope to set up a one time or recurring contribution with a debit/credit card at 1-888-466-4673.
Blessings,
David and Beth
If you know someone who would like to be included on our email list, please ask them to forward their email address to us at missionsbeth@yahoo.com. If they don’t have email, we would be happy to include them on our “snail mail” newsletter list.
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