Personal Message
Joyeux Noel!
Greetings! And blessings to you and your family for a Christ-filled and joyous Christmas holiday.
We want to extend our deep love and appreciation for helping make 2009 a very special year for the children at The Lighthouse.
It has been an incredible year of growth and spiritual blessings for the children. And we are seeing the fruit of those blessings every day in the lives of these very special children.
Thanks to a lot of different people at a lot of different churches, this will be a very special Christmas. And it is not just because of the gifts they will receive. It is because of the significance of who the Christ child is to each and every one of them personally.
Many of these kids have no family or relatives. They have known much pain and heartache. But, despite it all, they know they have a Savior who loves them above all else. They have seen the Lord work miracles in their young lives. Heal the pain. Mend the scars. Restore hope. And to them... there is no greater gift, than the gift of that precious Christ child born humbly in a manger.
Thank you for helping these children to know the true meaning of the season. To know that Jesus loves them and will never leave nor forsake them.
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"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33.22
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God bless you.
The Manasseros
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Merry Christmas From The Kids at Maison de Lumiere!
 The children at Maison de Lumiere (The Lighthouse) want to extend a very special Christmas thank you to all of you reading this newsletter.
You all have a role in the wonderful things happening in these special children's lives. From your child sponsorships and prayers to special gifts and teams that have helped bless the children with transportation, playgrounds, repaired facilities, awesome VBS/Bible programs, and much more.
The children at The Lighthouse are continuing to grow into godly young men and woman as the Lord continues to transform their lives from the hurts and abuse of the past to a brighter Hope and future through Jesus Christ.
God's hand is upon these children. And the prayers and selfless efforts of the saints have helped move God's hand even further.
On behalf of all the children at The Lighthouse, God bless you abundantly in the years ahead and have a wonderful Christmas!
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Alex, James & Jocelyn in the USA!
 For over two years, we have been working with a host family in the States (Tom and Pat Murphy - incredible people) to get some of our boys over to the States to attend school.
Alex, James & Jocelyn are three of our original 12 boys, or "12 disciples" whom first lived at Maison de Lumiere. They all had a very difficult life and were living on the street prior to living at MDL. Two, Alex and James, are orphans. Jocelyn has a family who could no longer care for him. For these boys and many others who live on the streets in Haiti, coming to America is nothing more than a fantasy -- a dream too far out of reach to ever take seriously. But God knew otherwise.
Over time, Alex, James and Jocelyn emerged as leaders at the home and became an integral part of our program. They all learned English quickly and were helping in many ways. When they turned 18, all three were offered trainee positions that would eventually lead to full-time staff positions at the home.
A wonderful godly couple from Pennsylvania who visited Maison de Lumiere a while back really saw something special in these three boys. They immediately became sponsors and regularly communicated with and encouraged the boys. But, over time, they felt God's prompting to help them in some way beyond sponsorship. They wanted to help them in their journeys to a career and independence. They wanted to host the boys in the States where they could attend classes or training that would benefit their lives back in Haiti. Working with various schools and trade programs they found an excellent three month program in New York City at Berlitz English School.
The process of getting them to the States had been slow and very tedious. Getting student visas for young men with virtually no ties to Haiti is nearly impossible (because of the tendency of young men to stay illegally once they hit U.S. soil). After two years, we finally had passports and a visa appointment at the American Embassy.
It was 6 in the morning as Tom Murphy (who flew in specifically for the appointment) and I (Bill Manassero) stood outside the Embassy with the three boys -- waiting for their appointment. The boys had fresh haircuts, clean pressed clothes and were ready to make the best impression possible. Finally, the line began to move and we made it up to the entrance. Unfortunately, at the entrance, we hit a snag - because the boys were 18 and adults, Tom and I were not allowed in for the appointment. They were to do the appointment alone. Immediately our weak faith surfaced - "Oh no, this is terrible. Who is going to be the spokesperson for these boys? What if they get split up and some get approved and some don't? What if they get nervous and say all the wrong things?" God immediately intervened in our fears and spoke to our hearts, "They already have a spokesman AND advocate and it is I." We then knew, it was not going to be by anything or anyone other than Him and by His Glory!
Three hours later,after a series of "God things and situations" the three boys all had visas and were coming to the U.S.! Praise be to our incredible God!
The boys took off on an airplane two days later. But before they left, all the kids at the homes hosted an incredible bon voyage worship and praise night at the homes to thank God and pray over the boys. The children all knew, as did the boys, that this is not just a trip for additional education or even to be a tourist for four months, but instead, that Alex, James and Jocelyn are Maison de Lumiere's first missionaries being sent out to proclaim the Gospel in the United States of America. Praise the Lord!
To follow their journey, the Murphys have set up a special Facebook section called the Haitian Youth Work-Study Cooperative or you can look up Tom Murphy in PA. Please keep these special kids and the Murphys in your prayers. They will be in the States until April.
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Investing in Lives - Year-End Giving Ideas
Some have asked how they might help out The Lighthouse at year-end. As those who read this newsletter know, there is much happening and much to come.
Here are just a few ways you can help:
Pray - This, above all, is our greatest need. Without prayer -- and lots of it -- we're very much at risk. Please commit to praying daily for the children at The Lighthouse and our missionaries.
Sponsor a Child - We still have children with no sponsors. In addition, there are lots of children that are only partially sponsored. Sponsorship is only $25 per month. It is our prayer that the homes can be 100% funded through sponsorships.
Schedule a Missions Trip - A 2010 missions trip to the orphanage is an excellent way to contribute directly to the work being done there.
Additional Christmas
Wish List
Needs are always great at the home around this time of the
year and if anyone is looking for a worthwhile year-end investment, here are just
a few that would be a true blessing to Child Hope here in Haiti.
Graduate's Starter Kit - We are developing a
fund to assist graduates of Maiso n de Lumiere with their first year of
independent living. The "Starter Kit"
helps them to purchase a bed, basic furniture, cooking supplies and assist with
food and rent for their first year out.
After the first year, they should be generating enough income to support
themselves. Each starter kit is $2,500.
 Generator - With the addition of the MDL school
to the Manassero house, the power demands have increased, not to mention our
old generator is on its last legs. This
is an expensive item but one that is very necessary. They are cheaper in the U.S. but the weight and shipping are what cost. We do not have the budget for it but if someone is so
moved, it would be greatly appreciated.
Price - $10,000
Missionary/Intern Multi-Purpose House - We have been
blessed by the addition of new people coming to serve in Haiti for Child Hope
but are running out of places for them to live.
A neighbor has offered us an incredible deal on renting his house but,
again, it is not an area we have budgeted.
The house is walking distance from the homes. In addition to housing
missionaries and interns, it has extra space to take-in
overflow people from the guesthouse, provide additional classroom space for our MDL school,
accommodate a small micro-business and serve as a home for a transitioning graduate of
MDL. Amount required - $10,000-12,000
Truck - The dema nds of the ministry has brought about the need for
another vehicle. The staff and missionaries at Maison de
Lumiere are constantly running around doing hospital visits, working with
government and local businesses, running to the market, running kids places and much
more. The vehicles we have are always used and we often have to
postpone critical things because we lack reliable transportation. It is our prayer that we can obtain the
funding to purchase a used pick-up for the ministry. Approximate price -
$18,000, hopefully much less.
These are just a few of the areas of current and future need. If you would like to donate online, you can click here or you can mail donations to Child Hope International, P.O. Box 3677, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. You may also call in donations to the Child Hope office at 888-808-9595.
Merry Christmas, God bless you and thank you for your prayers and support.
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2010 Child Hope Calendar is Here!
With the generous help and photography skills of Lucas and
Alicia Simmons, we are able to provide a special 2010 Child Hope
International/Maison de Lumiere calendar featuring the children's birthdates
and photos (on their birth months). Our
first Child Hope calendar, created in 2009 by Brittany Meadth, had only a few
copies of the beautiful calendar printed but as visitors and others saw the
calendars they would ask, "Where can I get one?" So, we have created an all new calendar, with
updated photos of the kids, updated birthdates and other key Maison de Lumiere
activity dates, Haitian events and other special dates.
 The calendar is now being made available to any and every
one who is interested. The cost is
$40. It costs around $30 to make and ship the calendar. The
additional $10 is being applied to the children's birthday fund. Once a month, we take the birthday kids of
that month to a special place (their current favorite is Dominoe's Pizza - yes, you heard it right! The only fast food franchise in Haiti.) The funds will help offset the $30 large pizzas.
To order a calendar online go here.
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UPDATES
 Madame Jocelyn - For those that are wondering, Madame Jocelyn, one of the laundresses at the boys home who has uterine cancer, is now in the Dominican Republic receiving cancer treatment. Praise God! Thanks to your response to our request for medical funds to help her, we were able to make this happen, however, additional medical costs are expected. Please keep her in your prayers and if you wish to assist, you make donate to her medical fund here. She is expected to be there 2 months.
Christmas Matching Funds - We received a generous donation of funds to help pay for Christmas at the homes and our annual Christmas Pageant and feeding with a call to match $3500. You stepped up and met the challenge and, as a result, are able to purchase gifts for the kids, feed 400 people, give out 400 gifts and present the Christmas story and the Gospel to our Haitian community. God is so good! Thank you and God bless you.
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