Family and Friends,
Just a quick note to let you all know we arrived safely in Haiti yesterday and made the 4 1/2 hour drive out to the community where we will be staying. We had some delays getting our rental car at the airport, but no major troubles along the way. We are looking forward to a day visiting the Deaf/Disabled School and one other ministry in the city of Les Cayes. Tonight we hope to report back to you and offer some photos of the adventure.
Thanks for your prayers!
-Grimm Family Adventurers and George
Friday, June 5, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Leaving for Haiti Today
Family and Friends,
Today we leave for Haiti on a week-long trip. One purpose for this trip is to visit the Deaf/Disabled School in Cayes, take new school photos of the kids, connect with Julianna and Lucner (school directors), and possibly do a project in their garden area. Members of American Reformed Church in Luverne (where we serve and attend) have generously donated and prepared various items for the school. It will be fun to bless the kids with these gifts and be blessed by their enthusiasm for God and life!
Special thanks to ARC for their generous financial donations to help make this trip possible!
We will also connect with old friends, visit new potential ministry partners, and scout out some details for the larger group trip we are planning for November. Our good friend George will go along today, and it will be his first time in Haiti. He has learned some common phrases and vocab words, and he is ready to dive in and help us any way possible on this trip.
Cory's parents are staying with our kids all week. Cory's dad, Norm, just retired last week from teaching, so we thought it would be important to put him to work before he relaxes too much!
Please pray for our small team as we travel today and tomorrow, and we will be back on June 10! Zacharie, H.I.M. director, will be flying back with us that day and joining us in Minnesota for the summer, so stay tuned to hear about some of his adventures with us...
Many blessings on your adventure for Christ today!
-the grimm family adventurers
Today we leave for Haiti on a week-long trip. One purpose for this trip is to visit the Deaf/Disabled School in Cayes, take new school photos of the kids, connect with Julianna and Lucner (school directors), and possibly do a project in their garden area. Members of American Reformed Church in Luverne (where we serve and attend) have generously donated and prepared various items for the school. It will be fun to bless the kids with these gifts and be blessed by their enthusiasm for God and life!
Special thanks to ARC for their generous financial donations to help make this trip possible!
We will also connect with old friends, visit new potential ministry partners, and scout out some details for the larger group trip we are planning for November. Our good friend George will go along today, and it will be his first time in Haiti. He has learned some common phrases and vocab words, and he is ready to dive in and help us any way possible on this trip.
Cory's parents are staying with our kids all week. Cory's dad, Norm, just retired last week from teaching, so we thought it would be important to put him to work before he relaxes too much!
Please pray for our small team as we travel today and tomorrow, and we will be back on June 10! Zacharie, H.I.M. director, will be flying back with us that day and joining us in Minnesota for the summer, so stay tuned to hear about some of his adventures with us...
Many blessings on your adventure for Christ today!
-the grimm family adventurers
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Getting up to Speed!
Family and Friends,
Wow, it has been a long time since we have updated the blog, yet God has been doing many things as always. This year I (Cory) have been taking additional seminary classes to complete my requirements for ordination in the Reformed Church in America. That has been very time-consuming, and as a result we haven't had a good chance to return to Haiti yet this year, but we are making plans to visit in the next 6 months if possible. Lynn and the kids continue to plug away with home school, and we now live in Luverne, MN, where I work full-time as Director of Worship and Outreach at American Reformed Church.
Zacharie has been busy as always leading Haitian International Missions. He is attending seminary full-time but also makes time to help out at the Deaf/Disabled School and with various outreach and evangelism projects through his local church. His family is doing well.
The Deaf/Disabled School has continued with their vibrant ministry to the "least of these" this year, including a summer camp in August for kids who are eager to return to school where they can speak with their friends and teachers again! Many of them probably miss the regular meals they get at school as well. School will begin early in September and we are excited to continue partnering with Lucner and Julianna in this important work.
Our main financial focus for H.I.M. continues to be raising school sponsorship for the children who attend the Deaf/Disabled School. If you would like to learn more about this program, click on the links above. The cost is $25/month or $300/year to sponsor these wonderful children, which provides them with specialized instruction with an emphasis on building faith in Christ, room and board, medications, and constant love and nurture. We feel this is an incredible value, and every part of this ministry is Haitian-led.
We still have about 15 children without sponsors and are in danger of not being able to provide funds in September for food, teacher salaries, etc... We could really use your help! And when you sponsor a child you can interact with him/her through emails (translated by us or Zachary) or other creative means. We also hope to one day offer the opportunity for sponsors to travel to the school and meet the children. Please join us in this ministry if God lays the burden on your heart!
We hope to update the blog on a more regular basis this Fall, and thanks as always for everyone who has participated with us up to this point in so many different ways.
May Your Day Be Filled With Adventure for God!
-the Grimm Family Adventurers
Wow, it has been a long time since we have updated the blog, yet God has been doing many things as always. This year I (Cory) have been taking additional seminary classes to complete my requirements for ordination in the Reformed Church in America. That has been very time-consuming, and as a result we haven't had a good chance to return to Haiti yet this year, but we are making plans to visit in the next 6 months if possible. Lynn and the kids continue to plug away with home school, and we now live in Luverne, MN, where I work full-time as Director of Worship and Outreach at American Reformed Church.
Zacharie has been busy as always leading Haitian International Missions. He is attending seminary full-time but also makes time to help out at the Deaf/Disabled School and with various outreach and evangelism projects through his local church. His family is doing well.
The Deaf/Disabled School has continued with their vibrant ministry to the "least of these" this year, including a summer camp in August for kids who are eager to return to school where they can speak with their friends and teachers again! Many of them probably miss the regular meals they get at school as well. School will begin early in September and we are excited to continue partnering with Lucner and Julianna in this important work.
 |
| Zacharie visits the Deaf School in Cayes |
.jpg) |
| Summer Camp Participants |
Our main financial focus for H.I.M. continues to be raising school sponsorship for the children who attend the Deaf/Disabled School. If you would like to learn more about this program, click on the links above. The cost is $25/month or $300/year to sponsor these wonderful children, which provides them with specialized instruction with an emphasis on building faith in Christ, room and board, medications, and constant love and nurture. We feel this is an incredible value, and every part of this ministry is Haitian-led.
We still have about 15 children without sponsors and are in danger of not being able to provide funds in September for food, teacher salaries, etc... We could really use your help! And when you sponsor a child you can interact with him/her through emails (translated by us or Zachary) or other creative means. We also hope to one day offer the opportunity for sponsors to travel to the school and meet the children. Please join us in this ministry if God lays the burden on your heart!
We hope to update the blog on a more regular basis this Fall, and thanks as always for everyone who has participated with us up to this point in so many different ways.
May Your Day Be Filled With Adventure for God!
-the Grimm Family Adventurers
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Zacharie's Thoughts on Wealth/Faith
Family and Friends,
Please enjoy some biblical teaching from Zacharie on wealth and faith...
The love of money is the root of all evil ( 1Tim 6:10). Unfortunately, many people don't understand that. They think that money is one of the most important things and it can help them buy possessions that can make them happy. Therefore, it causes them to fall into lust as they fight to gain more money to buy what they want or need. Many people think that wealth means happiness; sometime this is not true, because many rich people are truly poor. They are never satisfied with what they have. Others allow God to control their wealth and they share what they have in profit with other people in need. These rich people are happy because they live according to God’s will. It is better to be satisfied with what God has given us. This portion of Jesus’ sermon on the mount can be divided into four parts:
Please enjoy some biblical teaching from Zacharie on wealth and faith...
The love of money is the root of all evil ( 1Tim 6:10). Unfortunately, many people don't understand that. They think that money is one of the most important things and it can help them buy possessions that can make them happy. Therefore, it causes them to fall into lust as they fight to gain more money to buy what they want or need. Many people think that wealth means happiness; sometime this is not true, because many rich people are truly poor. They are never satisfied with what they have. Others allow God to control their wealth and they share what they have in profit with other people in need. These rich people are happy because they live according to God’s will. It is better to be satisfied with what God has given us. This portion of Jesus’ sermon on the mount can be divided into four parts:
1. Where your treasure is your heart
will be also: ( Matthew 6: 19-21)
To understand this bible passage,
we need to know and understand what is meant by "treasure.” The bible verse that we are considering says,
"Where your treasure is your heart will be also." A treasure might be
a person or an object that has great value in our eyes. God wants us to give
him our heart. Therefore if we keep thinking of other things and forget God, we
put God out of our life. It is not bad if you love your friends or family, but
sometimes focusing on them can turn your heart away from God. These bible
verses don't mean that you don’t need to take care of personal things. But it
is a danger to give your heart to what you get. Things can take God’s place in
your heart. That is why the devil makes the whole world his slave because of the
world’s addiction to wealth.
Christian people should not allow
riches to turn them away from God. Everyone who is controlled by what he has
chooses idols over God. We could write a
long list, but everyone knows his own weakness or idols , the things that can
separate you from God. It is the true
sense of these bible verses that we should not seek earthly things, but
heavenly treasure. What treasure would you like to choose: earthly treasure or
heavenly treasure? Unfortunately we can't choose both. Gathering treasure for heaven is when you
serve or support the little ones who are in need. The weakest people, homeless,
unclothed and so on… This is what you can do, you give yourselves to answer the
problems of the needy. Our organization
H.I.M. focuses on this and evangelism.
2. No one can serve God and material
things or the devil at the same time (verses 22-24)
It is not bad to gain wealth if you
do so honestly, but a materialist person dreams of material things. Those who
trust in material things always think that the things of the earth are the
greatest parts of life. They don't know it
is impossible to serve two masters at the same time. We can't serve God if we
keep serving worldly things at the same time.
There are some Christians who claim to work hard and save money, but in
reality they are just being stingy towards God and others. See Luke 10: 38-48.
When your work compromises your spiritual life that is materialism, because
many people neglect their spiritual work to focus on material things. Some are too busy to study the bible or pray
to God because they choose to serve money instead of God. It is important for
the parents to teach their children how to serve God instead of serving things.
According to Matthew 6:33, God tells us we must work, but we have to understand
that work is another way to serve God, because the bible says we must work to
earn our bread so that we can help ourselves and support those who are in
need. We cannot allow work to become an
idol.
3. We must not become anxious about
our needs (verses 25-32)
At first glance, it seems that
these verses contradict the teaching of other parts of the New Testament. The idea is not to worry about the next day,
but not to make preparations seems strangely at odds with the teaching of
industriousness we find elsewhere. But students of the bible know very well
that we must consider all aspects of the bible to have a balanced view of what
the scriptures teach. We must not
isolate a verse and a base an entire doctrine on it without comparing it with
the rest of the bible.
These verses are used to balance
the biblical verses about work. In this passage we read, “do not worry or think
too much about tomorrow.” These verses help us put material things in their
proper perspective. Why do people look
so energetically for money and the things money can buy?
1- To
satisfy their desires and…
2- to
find security
These reasons, neither one nor the
other is acceptable for a Christian. The
Christian must find deliverance of his desires or he will not long be a
Christian. A Christian finds his security
in God through faith in His Word, and not in his earthly possessions or wealth. Wealth then, such as when a Christian has
some goods or money, is for a different purpose (than the reasons stated
above). This does not mean that a
Christian should be irresponsible or lazy.
A true Christian will be very hardworking and responsible with his money
and property because they belong to God and not to himself. He knows that God has entrusted to him the
glory of God and because of this, Christians can sometimes be richer than some
of their ungodly neighbors. However,
rich or poor the Christian is able to leave his financial affairs in the hands
of God and go to sleep without worrying for his life or for his food, because
everything is in the hands of God.
4- It is much more important to be
just than to be rich. (verse 33-34)
The last two verses conclude by
stating that the most important thing we can do is to seek first the kingdom
and righteousness of God. The material
interests are not as important as the spiritual interests. We expect to live
much longer in eternity than here on earth. Is it not absurd to amass earthly
security at the expense of your heavenly treasures? How do we seek the kingdom
and righteousness of God? How do we gather heavenly treasure? These are silly questions to the carnal man,
but they are important to us because they affect the Christian’s destiny.
If we cannot find the kingdom of God and amass heavenly treasures, we
lose everything of value. These verses
tell us that if we seek the kingdom of God, all these things will be added to
us as well. Because it is God's will
that we have all the treasures of heaven, he will guide us to the things that give
us these treasures. In the scene of judgment
in Matthew 25, we see what kinds of things bring heavenly treasure. The righteous in this judgment passage are
blessed because of their small acts of kindness they have made. For example, a simple glass of water given to
a person in need. But we must submit to
His will in all things in our life, not just random acts of kindness.
Conclusion: How do we seek the kingdom of God? We seek to
discover what he expects from us and give it the first place in our lives. When all our properties, our desires, and our
relationships are secondary to our love for God, we collect the treasures in
heaven.
Friday, October 18, 2013
New School Sponsorship Program Launch!
Family and Friends,
NOTE: The following post will explain our new school sponsorship program for the Deaf/Disabled School in Les Cayes. Above you will find a tab with all of this information in addition to photos and personal information of sponsor children. Please hit that tab to select a child to consider sponsoring and contact us when you are ready to get started.
Haitian International Missions is partnering in ministry with the Christian Education Center for Deaf and Handicap Children in Les Cayes, Haiti. We recognize God's calling on the excellent leaders of this ministry, Lucner and Julianna Laine, who we believe possess outstanding Christian character and ability to continue the administration, nurture, and potential future expansion of this ministry.
the story of how the ministry began...
In 1992 Julianna began to focus on mastering sign language. As an educator she saw a need to reach out to deaf and disabled children who were not able to participate in regular schools, which only offer one mainstream program and no special education. Life in Haiti is not easy, and even more so for those born with such disadvantages. It is common in this country to see deaf children and adults who have never learned to speak sign language and disabled children and adults, with no other doors having been opened for them, who are confined to their home or begging along the streets. Julianna's faith in a God who loves all people equally moved her to begin envisioning what could be done to make a difference.
With the help of Lucner and others she began to research her options for opening a school. Many people tried to dissuade her and tell her that such children could not succeed in life, the funds would never be available, and there were plenty of "normal" children who also could not attend school for various reasons who should be helped first. However, she continued in faith and did finally open the school in 2006 with very little budget or help.
Over time the ministry has grown and now includes 37 regular students, 3 teachers who are deaf and/or proficient in sign language (with plans to add 2 more), a young nurse in training, a house mother, and Julianna as administrator/director/teacher. The school also offers boarding facilities for about half of the students who come from as far away as Port-au-Prince (120 miles) and other parts of the southern peninsula of Haiti.
Lucner and Julianna speak often of how God has graciously provided over the years, yet there has been great sacrifice and countless prayers for help. As administrator and director she has never received a salary, and sometimes there is only enough money to pay the teachers about half of their salary. The food supplies often run low for the children, whose parents cannot afford to pay tuition. Lucner has been able to make a decent living, by Haitian standards, through a hodgepodge of translation work, teaching a few classes at the nearby university, and farm work, which has helped to supplement the school.
The couple also talks passionately about the visions and dreams they have for this school and ministry:
1. To solidify the current budget- this will help insure the health of the children through providing a good home, healthy food, various medicines, and excellent education. Also, steady income will facilitate the recruitment and retention of specialized and talented teachers.
2. To expand the size of the school- though this ministry is off to an inspirational beginning, the need remains great. It is difficult to estimate how many children are out there who could benefit from a school like this, but realistically the school now provides services for less than one percent of that demographic. It is believed at this time that this is the only such school in the region, or possibly one of two. Also, currently the school cannot offer boarding services to teenagers due to lack of space and privacy, limiting the impact to those who can commute on a daily basis. It is the dream of the founders of this school to offer services to more children in the future through expansion.
3. To expand educational offerings- in the future students will be taught not only academics but also various trades for which they will be uniquely suited.
4. To expand the ministry impact- students are trained in Bible and ministry and given opportunities to impact the neighborhood of the school as well their families when they return for holidays and summers. There is much more that can be done in these areas in the future.
How H.I.M. will be involved...
After sitting down recently with Lucner and Julianna, with the assistance of our national director Zacharie, we have determined to tackle the first point on the list above, solidifying the budget. We feel the best way to do this is through the recruitment of sponsors for individual children. Here are the financial numbers the Deaf/disabled school is currently working with...
Major expenses cost per year
Facility rental (school & boarding house) $2,500
Staff salaries $8,200a
Food, supplies, etc... $1,760
TOTAL $12,500 (US dollars)
*The school does receive sporadic income through partial payments of tuition, donations from ministries for which Lucner translates, and other Haitian or American friends. Therefore, we have determined to set a goal of $25/month per student, or $300/year. With 37 students this would amount to $11,100, leaving room for other donations to close the gap. If income exceeds budget in the coming year, extra money may be utilized for acquiring a vehicle, savings toward facility expansion, staff salary increases, or other improvements.
Also, as this partnership grows in the future we will offer Zacharie's services as advisor and mentor, especially with regard to expanding the ministry impact of this school and its students. We also will begin to discuss the viability of helping to raise the funds necessary to obtain a permanent facility and/or buying land and building a campus. In every way we will seek God together and pray for his direction in changing the lives of many people, both the children in Haiti with their families and also the lives of the American individuals and churches who will be involved in various ways.
Sponsorship Information
Please consider sponsoring a child for the Deaf/Disabled school in Les Cayes! The following are some of the benefits of being involved in this program:
1. Provide school, nutrition, spiritual guidance, and a hopeful future for a disadvantaged child in Haiti.
2. Help share Christ's love with the family and community of the child whom you sponsor.
3. Live out your personal faith in a tangible way which will compel you to deeper prayer, worship, hunger for Scripture, and missions involvement.
4. Correspond with your student and his/her family through letters translated by H.I.M.
5. Peace of mind knowing that the money you give will be administered with complete integrity and transparency. 100% of your gift will go directly to the school.
6. Opportunities to visit the school to meet your child personally and serve in various capacities.
How do I get involved?
Step #1- View the children by hitting the "Deaf/Disabled School Sponsorship" tab above and pray about whether God would like you to be involved and if so, which student you would like to sponsor. Cost is $25/month or $300/year.
Step #2- Contact Lynn via email to request more information. At that time she will give you information about which children are still available, how to pay, and how to stay involved with the ministry. Please use this email: lynnmariegrimm@yahoo.com
Step #3- Stay involved with the ministry! We will give you photos, information, and opportunities to participate in what is going on in Haiti. Pray for your child, share his/her info with your church and friends, and allow God to grow your own vision for missions and ministry.
Thanks to everyone again for helping us visit Haiti this past week. We had a great experience and are ready to continue the work! Please join us!
Many blessings on your adventure today!
-the grimm family adventurers
NOTE: The following post will explain our new school sponsorship program for the Deaf/Disabled School in Les Cayes. Above you will find a tab with all of this information in addition to photos and personal information of sponsor children. Please hit that tab to select a child to consider sponsoring and contact us when you are ready to get started.
Haitian International Missions is partnering in ministry with the Christian Education Center for Deaf and Handicap Children in Les Cayes, Haiti. We recognize God's calling on the excellent leaders of this ministry, Lucner and Julianna Laine, who we believe possess outstanding Christian character and ability to continue the administration, nurture, and potential future expansion of this ministry.
the story of how the ministry began...
In 1992 Julianna began to focus on mastering sign language. As an educator she saw a need to reach out to deaf and disabled children who were not able to participate in regular schools, which only offer one mainstream program and no special education. Life in Haiti is not easy, and even more so for those born with such disadvantages. It is common in this country to see deaf children and adults who have never learned to speak sign language and disabled children and adults, with no other doors having been opened for them, who are confined to their home or begging along the streets. Julianna's faith in a God who loves all people equally moved her to begin envisioning what could be done to make a difference.
With the help of Lucner and others she began to research her options for opening a school. Many people tried to dissuade her and tell her that such children could not succeed in life, the funds would never be available, and there were plenty of "normal" children who also could not attend school for various reasons who should be helped first. However, she continued in faith and did finally open the school in 2006 with very little budget or help.
Over time the ministry has grown and now includes 37 regular students, 3 teachers who are deaf and/or proficient in sign language (with plans to add 2 more), a young nurse in training, a house mother, and Julianna as administrator/director/teacher. The school also offers boarding facilities for about half of the students who come from as far away as Port-au-Prince (120 miles) and other parts of the southern peninsula of Haiti.
Lucner and Julianna speak often of how God has graciously provided over the years, yet there has been great sacrifice and countless prayers for help. As administrator and director she has never received a salary, and sometimes there is only enough money to pay the teachers about half of their salary. The food supplies often run low for the children, whose parents cannot afford to pay tuition. Lucner has been able to make a decent living, by Haitian standards, through a hodgepodge of translation work, teaching a few classes at the nearby university, and farm work, which has helped to supplement the school.
The couple also talks passionately about the visions and dreams they have for this school and ministry:
1. To solidify the current budget- this will help insure the health of the children through providing a good home, healthy food, various medicines, and excellent education. Also, steady income will facilitate the recruitment and retention of specialized and talented teachers.
2. To expand the size of the school- though this ministry is off to an inspirational beginning, the need remains great. It is difficult to estimate how many children are out there who could benefit from a school like this, but realistically the school now provides services for less than one percent of that demographic. It is believed at this time that this is the only such school in the region, or possibly one of two. Also, currently the school cannot offer boarding services to teenagers due to lack of space and privacy, limiting the impact to those who can commute on a daily basis. It is the dream of the founders of this school to offer services to more children in the future through expansion.
3. To expand educational offerings- in the future students will be taught not only academics but also various trades for which they will be uniquely suited.
4. To expand the ministry impact- students are trained in Bible and ministry and given opportunities to impact the neighborhood of the school as well their families when they return for holidays and summers. There is much more that can be done in these areas in the future.
How H.I.M. will be involved...
After sitting down recently with Lucner and Julianna, with the assistance of our national director Zacharie, we have determined to tackle the first point on the list above, solidifying the budget. We feel the best way to do this is through the recruitment of sponsors for individual children. Here are the financial numbers the Deaf/disabled school is currently working with...
Major expenses cost per year
Facility rental (school & boarding house) $2,500
Staff salaries $8,200a
Food, supplies, etc... $1,760
TOTAL $12,500 (US dollars)
*The school does receive sporadic income through partial payments of tuition, donations from ministries for which Lucner translates, and other Haitian or American friends. Therefore, we have determined to set a goal of $25/month per student, or $300/year. With 37 students this would amount to $11,100, leaving room for other donations to close the gap. If income exceeds budget in the coming year, extra money may be utilized for acquiring a vehicle, savings toward facility expansion, staff salary increases, or other improvements.
Also, as this partnership grows in the future we will offer Zacharie's services as advisor and mentor, especially with regard to expanding the ministry impact of this school and its students. We also will begin to discuss the viability of helping to raise the funds necessary to obtain a permanent facility and/or buying land and building a campus. In every way we will seek God together and pray for his direction in changing the lives of many people, both the children in Haiti with their families and also the lives of the American individuals and churches who will be involved in various ways.
Sponsorship Information
Please consider sponsoring a child for the Deaf/Disabled school in Les Cayes! The following are some of the benefits of being involved in this program:
1. Provide school, nutrition, spiritual guidance, and a hopeful future for a disadvantaged child in Haiti.
2. Help share Christ's love with the family and community of the child whom you sponsor.
3. Live out your personal faith in a tangible way which will compel you to deeper prayer, worship, hunger for Scripture, and missions involvement.
4. Correspond with your student and his/her family through letters translated by H.I.M.
5. Peace of mind knowing that the money you give will be administered with complete integrity and transparency. 100% of your gift will go directly to the school.
6. Opportunities to visit the school to meet your child personally and serve in various capacities.
How do I get involved?
Step #1- View the children by hitting the "Deaf/Disabled School Sponsorship" tab above and pray about whether God would like you to be involved and if so, which student you would like to sponsor. Cost is $25/month or $300/year.
Step #2- Contact Lynn via email to request more information. At that time she will give you information about which children are still available, how to pay, and how to stay involved with the ministry. Please use this email: lynnmariegrimm@yahoo.com
Step #3- Stay involved with the ministry! We will give you photos, information, and opportunities to participate in what is going on in Haiti. Pray for your child, share his/her info with your church and friends, and allow God to grow your own vision for missions and ministry.
Thanks to everyone again for helping us visit Haiti this past week. We had a great experience and are ready to continue the work! Please join us!
Many blessings on your adventure today!
-the grimm family adventurers
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Our Final Day in Haiti
Family and Friends,
Well, the week has gone by quickly as it always does on these mission trips, and we have reached the final day. Looking back we feel very positive about everything that has happened here, and we have truly enjoyed the time with friends, old and new.
Today I will travel with Lucner into the city to visit the Deaf/Disabled school one more time. My plan is to get an individual photo of each student along with personal information. We had a great business-meeting / prayer-time on Sunday and laid out a plan for raising funds to solidify the budget of the school and begin to work towards a future permanent campus. Afterward as I was praying and thinking about the whole project I realized it would be a lot more meaningful if people could sponsor an individual child and get to know him/her personally through the process. This is what Mission Haiti and many other organizations do in Haiti and it seems to benefit both sides of the relationship.
After that Zacharie will pick me up from the school and we will visit two more potential ministry partners he has identified. I will return to the hotel mid-afternoon, where Lynn will stay today to welcome any final visitors, and we will wrap up the day with some final guests, packing, and saying "see you later" (Christians never have to say "goodbye").
We will post more about Deaf/Disabled school when we return and have better internet access for uploading pictures and videos, but here are a few more of our favorite snapshots from the last few days...
Zacharie shared more of the story about when Stevenson was born, 3 1/2 years ago. We knew he was in the neighborhood of 2 lbs. at birth, which as you can imagine, gives you little chance of survival in this country, and we knew Zacharie had to traverse the city streets in the night looking for some pharmacy who had oxygen for the child. What we didn't know was that in the meantime the nursing staff stopped caring for the child and gave him up for dead. Also, after he obtained the oxygen there was at least one incident when the nurse took the air from his child and put it on another. Wow! It was a very trying time. As you can see, by the grace of God, he is a thriving young boy now, and very cute! At some point in the ordeal Zacharie dedicated his son to serve God if he was to survive. This is sometimes done in these circumstances in Haiti, similar to some Bible stories. We will see how God uses this young man...
Have a great day everyone, and please pray for our travels back to the airport. We will leave at 3am tomorrow morning, and we plan to touch down in Des Moines at 7:20 that night if all goes as planned. Above all, pray for the people of Haiti as they follow Christ day by day through many difficult trials. Thanks again for making this trip possible through your contributions and prayers, and we will see you all again soon. God Bless!
May Your Adventure Today Have Many Memorable Snapshots!
-the grimm family adventurers
Well, the week has gone by quickly as it always does on these mission trips, and we have reached the final day. Looking back we feel very positive about everything that has happened here, and we have truly enjoyed the time with friends, old and new.
Today I will travel with Lucner into the city to visit the Deaf/Disabled school one more time. My plan is to get an individual photo of each student along with personal information. We had a great business-meeting / prayer-time on Sunday and laid out a plan for raising funds to solidify the budget of the school and begin to work towards a future permanent campus. Afterward as I was praying and thinking about the whole project I realized it would be a lot more meaningful if people could sponsor an individual child and get to know him/her personally through the process. This is what Mission Haiti and many other organizations do in Haiti and it seems to benefit both sides of the relationship.
After that Zacharie will pick me up from the school and we will visit two more potential ministry partners he has identified. I will return to the hotel mid-afternoon, where Lynn will stay today to welcome any final visitors, and we will wrap up the day with some final guests, packing, and saying "see you later" (Christians never have to say "goodbye").
We will post more about Deaf/Disabled school when we return and have better internet access for uploading pictures and videos, but here are a few more of our favorite snapshots from the last few days...
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| Cory and Aldoni- this is the young man I referenced recently while preaching at ARC in Luverne- to read more of his story click the following link and the part about his is half-way down the page: Aldoni in Prison |
Zacharie shared more of the story about when Stevenson was born, 3 1/2 years ago. We knew he was in the neighborhood of 2 lbs. at birth, which as you can imagine, gives you little chance of survival in this country, and we knew Zacharie had to traverse the city streets in the night looking for some pharmacy who had oxygen for the child. What we didn't know was that in the meantime the nursing staff stopped caring for the child and gave him up for dead. Also, after he obtained the oxygen there was at least one incident when the nurse took the air from his child and put it on another. Wow! It was a very trying time. As you can see, by the grace of God, he is a thriving young boy now, and very cute! At some point in the ordeal Zacharie dedicated his son to serve God if he was to survive. This is sometimes done in these circumstances in Haiti, similar to some Bible stories. We will see how God uses this young man...
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| Lynn with Stevenson, Zacharie and DiDi's son |
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| Lynn with Santia, good friend and former student. To read more of her story click this link: Santia's Story |
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| Some children at a country school we visited |
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| The view from Zacharie's back door. Not too bad! |
Have a great day everyone, and please pray for our travels back to the airport. We will leave at 3am tomorrow morning, and we plan to touch down in Des Moines at 7:20 that night if all goes as planned. Above all, pray for the people of Haiti as they follow Christ day by day through many difficult trials. Thanks again for making this trip possible through your contributions and prayers, and we will see you all again soon. God Bless!
May Your Adventure Today Have Many Memorable Snapshots!
-the grimm family adventurers
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Visiting the Old Haunts
Family and Friends,
Yesterday we spent the morning working with some friends who are great musicians, the Gedna brothers. Their group is called "Model" and we were translating one of their recorded songs into English and reworking it to be re-recorded and added to I-tunes for sale. It was a lot of fun, and translating becomes even more difficult when you are working within the parameters of poetry, sing-ability, and word rhythms. They are great singers, however, and have a great potential to impact many people with their art.
We also welcomed several other guests, both new and old friends, and then prepared to visit Ti-Riviere in the afternoon. Our car and faithful driver arrived and we headed on our way. The way to the village included seeing all of the places I used to stop along the way to and from the main market we utilized. It was fun to see so many familiar faces, and the rate of recognition increased the closer we got to the village. Soon we recognized everyone and began to pull over to say hello to former students in my English classes, former laborers with whom we worked on projects, youth group members, and various other friends from the community.
First we went up to Zacharie's house to visit. At a curve in the main road you can turn down a steep side road that is paved with rocks. After that, when you reach the ocean, you can drive no further. From that point we had to take Lynn on a foot path. It was touching to see how much work Zacharie and others had done to make it possible for Lynn to pass. There was a small bridge built over a ravine, countless branches and roots cut away with machetes, and even piles of large rocks beside the trail that had been thrown to the side. When we reached the final incline it was too steep to push her up so Olgens, Zacharie, and Bazile picked her up and carried her the remainder of the distance to the house.
As we left the village we saw more friends and stopped a few times, and then we were back out on the main road among mostly strangers. I remember thinking, "something like that can only happen to you once or twice in a lifetime. It reminded me of returning home after the first semester of college...that strange feeling of returning to a place where everything seems exactly the same but knowing inside that you yourself are so different than you used to be." In the end we simply wish all those people the best, including Mission Haiti, and we hope God guides them all into a wonderful future.
Last night we again welcomed several friends and had a good time sitting around the pool talking about life, God, culture, music, Haitian proverbs, rats (in the nearby trees), and frogs (of which Haitians are deathly afraid). We haven't seen any tarantulas yet...although we haven't looked under the bed, either. Finally it was only us and Willy, the normal end to each of our days here. We gave him some of our leftover food we had from our various meals and gifts from friends (we have done this each night), and he walked home to share it with his sister.
Another exciting day in Haiti!
May Your Adventure be Worshipful Today!
-the grimm family adventurers
Yesterday we spent the morning working with some friends who are great musicians, the Gedna brothers. Their group is called "Model" and we were translating one of their recorded songs into English and reworking it to be re-recorded and added to I-tunes for sale. It was a lot of fun, and translating becomes even more difficult when you are working within the parameters of poetry, sing-ability, and word rhythms. They are great singers, however, and have a great potential to impact many people with their art.
We also welcomed several other guests, both new and old friends, and then prepared to visit Ti-Riviere in the afternoon. Our car and faithful driver arrived and we headed on our way. The way to the village included seeing all of the places I used to stop along the way to and from the main market we utilized. It was fun to see so many familiar faces, and the rate of recognition increased the closer we got to the village. Soon we recognized everyone and began to pull over to say hello to former students in my English classes, former laborers with whom we worked on projects, youth group members, and various other friends from the community.
First we went up to Zacharie's house to visit. At a curve in the main road you can turn down a steep side road that is paved with rocks. After that, when you reach the ocean, you can drive no further. From that point we had to take Lynn on a foot path. It was touching to see how much work Zacharie and others had done to make it possible for Lynn to pass. There was a small bridge built over a ravine, countless branches and roots cut away with machetes, and even piles of large rocks beside the trail that had been thrown to the side. When we reached the final incline it was too steep to push her up so Olgens, Zacharie, and Bazile picked her up and carried her the remainder of the distance to the house.
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| Zacharie and Olgens helping Lynn on the path |
After some relaxing time at Zacharie's we went back to the middle of the village and greeted people. They told us they were happy to see us, how big we are now, how life continued to be hard, and how
God has always been present in their lives. Then we walked up to the mission compound and orphanage where we had lived for over a year. It was an emotional time of seeing all those old friends and the home where we lived with our kids. At times no one really knew what to say, and there were many tears. Finally we said goodbye and headed on our way.
As we left the village we saw more friends and stopped a few times, and then we were back out on the main road among mostly strangers. I remember thinking, "something like that can only happen to you once or twice in a lifetime. It reminded me of returning home after the first semester of college...that strange feeling of returning to a place where everything seems exactly the same but knowing inside that you yourself are so different than you used to be." In the end we simply wish all those people the best, including Mission Haiti, and we hope God guides them all into a wonderful future.
Last night we again welcomed several friends and had a good time sitting around the pool talking about life, God, culture, music, Haitian proverbs, rats (in the nearby trees), and frogs (of which Haitians are deathly afraid). We haven't seen any tarantulas yet...although we haven't looked under the bed, either. Finally it was only us and Willy, the normal end to each of our days here. We gave him some of our leftover food we had from our various meals and gifts from friends (we have done this each night), and he walked home to share it with his sister.
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| Cory and Willy watching Bruce Lee on YouTube |
Another exciting day in Haiti!
May Your Adventure be Worshipful Today!
-the grimm family adventurers
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