Dear Friends & Family,
We are very thankful for the way you are sharing the journey with us. Your partnership and participation on our prayer and support team is vital. You continue to be part of the foundation of our ministry. We appreciate the long-term investment you are making in our lives, and in the lives of others through the vision God has called us to.
We want to communicate directly with you about a significant development in our lives. In this past year, God has been doing some awesome work through NET and the ministry in Haiti (see specifics below). While God has been gracious, we are currently in need of a season of rest, restoration and renewal.
Upon our request, the Mid-America Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America authorized a furlough/leave with the intended purpose of growing as individuals and in our marriage and family relationships. Pastor Brad Button, of the Davison Free Methodist Church, is guiding us as we are developing an intentional process of growth. While we realize your continued financial support is at your discretion, we are still dependent on your gracious care and continued giving during this season of our lives. During this time, we would be deeply grateful
if you would remember our family in prayer.
Impactful quotes from the devotional book "Streams in the Dessert":
"Often the Lord calls us aside from our work for a season and asks us to be still and learn before we go out again to minister. And the hours spent waiting are not lost time." Mrs. Charles Cowman
"The secret of knowing God's complete sufficiency is in coming to the end of everything in ourselves and our circumstances." A.B. Simpson
Samuel, Kendra, Landon, Nathan, and Andersen Luna
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NET
Samuel has asked Pastor Popin in Jarabacoa to care for the affairs of NET in his absence. Over the last year.....
- A cooperative has been established that just began to offer loans
- The Bison youth/children's Clubs have been active in 7 communities
- NET is sponsoring a camp in June for the youth/children of the Bison Clubs
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT NET PLEASE CLICK HERE: NET INFO
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HAITI
Although I (Kendra), have shifted my focus and efforts toward the goals mentioned above, God continues to significantly bless efforts, in Haiti, at New Life Village in miraculous ways! After coordinating efforts in a refugee camp in Port Au Prince immediately after the earthquake, we created a village of 25 refugee families, in January of 2011, with the goal of helping them become self- sustaining.
God continues to form a unique team of organizations and people who are assisting the villagers in their move from malnutrition and poverty toward dignity through self-sustaining and renewable livelihood solutions. My parents just returned from a 3 week trip where they, along with Emily Hendershot, hosted a group from Spring Arbor Free Methodist church. They also worked with the 2nd contingency UN Paraguayan military engineering division. Here are some things that have happened recently....
- Opened room for 6 new families to move into the village.
- Many hours were spent showing love and care for the children of the village.
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| Emily Hendershot, Paraguyan Commander Brito & Cheryl Trepus playing with the kids! |
- Secured funding and man power through Todd Holton's group from Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church & the UN Paraguayans, to erect the second half of the roof of the community center shade pavilion. This is vital because the families are still living in tarp shelters which become unbearably hot during the day.
- Poured cement floors and wrapped chicken-wire mesh converting two shelters into chicken houses. They will be used for a micro-enterprise chicken project and as a source of protein for malnourished village residents.
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Spring Arbor group w/ chicken coop they retrofitted for chicken micro-enterprise.
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Soon these guys will fill the coop!
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- Clear Blue donated funds for a solar pump system which will include solar panels mounted high on a utility pole, a water tank system which will gravity feed a drip irrigation system for the community garden.
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| Russ Cole, Marty Trepus & UN Paraguayans - planning the well house. |
- The Paraguayan UN built a well house which will secure a submersible solar- powered pump and create an elevated platform for water holding tanks that will feed the irrigation system for the community garden. The well also supplies water for people of the greater community.
- Set up a formal association with the new US-AID agriculture sta
tion located 2 kilometers from the new village. US-AID will provide training and technical support in the areas of irrigation systems, soil analysis, plant selection and marketing. Floyd (the van) transported 15 people from the village to visit the agricultural station and 2 village leaders have already taken training.
- Secured aprox. 3450 servings of nutrient rich rice-soy protein meals for villagers from We Care Haiti (a Christian, Texas-based organization).
- We Care Haiti also supplied us with a 6 month supply of anti-parasite medication.
- There is currently no electricity or lighting in the village. This poses a real security risk. Our friend Alain with IOM (International Organization of Migration) has us at the top of the list for solar lights as soon as they become available. Please pray!
- There is a good possibility that UN-OPS will provide better temporary shelters with cement floors. Please pray with us for this urgent housing need to be met.
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Marty & Cheryl with John Bern our translator - trying out the blue helmets with our Paraguayan friends!!!
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The village soccer goal is made of sticks and plastic bags.
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