At first glance you would think you were looking at an eight or nine-month-old baby. But then you take a closer look and see that this baby can pose when asked "fe foto" (take a picture), or try and utter "mesi" (thank you), as well as identify different parts of her body by name.
 
At eight or nine months old, babies are barely discovering the world around them and normally do not do these things. Estaline does. The only difference is that she is a two and a half-year old girl, with a baby sized body. Her small stature can most likely be attributed to malnutrition and other health issues.
 
Estaline's road to Maison de Lumiere was paved in some tragedy. She was living in a home with her mother and brother, Yvenel. When her mother died suddenly due to an asthma attack, they were left with only a grandmother to watch over them. No longer able to get proper care and protection, Estaline and Yvenel's grandmother set out to find a better place for them to live. She came to the streets of Delmas and found Maison de Lumiere.
 
Marlval, who is one of our managers at the boys home, recalls going with Susette last September to visit Estaline and Yvenel at their grandmother's. "I drove Susette to see what the conditions of living were for them, and it was not a very good situation at all. Their house was not finished and they did not have access to clean water or enough food."
 
Within a week, Estaline and Yvenel became residents of the girls and boys homes respectively. When Estaline first came she was mourning the loss of her mother and would not eat. She has since gained a great appetite that has become quite infamous!
 
Markendy,11, was playing with her the other day and you could hear him saying, "Estaline, you like to eat and sleep and eat and sleep and EAT!"
 
After one year at the girls home, Estaline is making great progress. She is learning to walk with assistance. The resident nurse, Brooke, has been taking her to the pool for some therapy a few times each week. Estaline loves to snuggle and the kids and staff enjoy seeing the sass and silliness begin to surface in her personality.
 
Estaline, although small, brings a large amount of joy and laughter to Maison de Lumiere. Please pray that she would grow in health and strength as well as in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

To find out more about Estaline or to become her sponsor, go to our sponsor page online.

It's just around the corner!  The kids at Maison de Lumiere are looking forward to the upcoming Christmas season. However, this year is a little different than the previous Christmas seasons in Haiti. The visions and experiences of the January 12th earthquake are still fresh. The horrific images of wounded people that filled the triage unit of the boys home, along with the cries of mourning mothers and fathers who lost children, are hard to forget. The earthquake not only left physical damage but also has scarred the psyche of many. The kids and others are left with nagging questions and thoughts of hopelessness like, "Will I be able to go to college when 28 of the 32 Haitian colleges and universities are completely destroyed?  Will I ever be able to find a job here?"

Fortunately, those with strong faith have drawn closer to God and found hope in His provision and promises. Many decided to "seek first the kingdom" - trusting not in man, governments or institutions to save them after the quake but to put their full hope and trust in the power and might of Creator God alone -- Jesus, Prince of Peace --Yahweh-Jireh: "The Lord will Provide" (Genesis 22:14).

This Christmas, we want to emphasize the Hope we have in Him through the gift of God's only son Jesus. We are working with visiting teams and the kids of Maison de Lumiere to develop a very special community outreach event that shares the Hope of the Gospel to over 400 needy local children and their families.  Singing, dancing, powerful biblical messages through skits and, of course, our live nativity play, will all share the Joy we as believers have when faced with adversity.

It is our hope, on December 22nd, to host a special Christmas Pageant that will feed over 400 children and family members, present each attending child with a little gift bag with a gospel track, and be a blessed presentation of the gospel.  Following the pageant, on December 25th, we will have a special Christmas day, meal and gifts for all the children and staff of Maison de Lumiere. 

As always, we trust in God and fellow believers to make this happen.  We do not have a budget for this program, therefore it is our prayer that people will join together to help provide this special gift of Hope to the children of Haiti. 

If you would like to make a donation to support this effort, you may donate online  at http://www.edivvy.com/event/christmasinhaiti-2010 or mail a check to Child Hope International, 2010 Christmas Fund, P.O. Box 3677, Redondo Beach,  California 90277.  If you would like to get involved as a church, school or organization, contact Jessica@childhope.org or call 888-808-9595.  There are many involvement opportunities and special gift sponsorships available.

Please pray that God be glorified and that many that night will trust in Jesus and find true Hope in the aftermath of the earthquake.

On Monday, Oct 4th, the kids will trade their regular clothes for uniforms, the girls will have bows in their hair, and each backpack will be ready to go for the first day of school at Maison de Lumiere Collegé (In Haiti, they call primary and secondary school "college"). One major transition taking place this year is that we will be a completely French speaking school. For the last three years we were an all English school. We will continue to teach English as a language but all classes will be taught in French! Compredre, oui?! (Understand, yes?!)

Teachers Seminar
Our new and returning teachers recently attended a week-long teacher training. They learned about the school itself and how it differs from typical Haitian schools. The training outlined the mission, vision and biblical foundation of Maison de Lumiere Collegé. Some major goals were addressed such as the emphasis on critical thinking as well as the aim for all the students to have a broader based education. The teachers left the training informed, enthusiastic, and quite excited for school to begin.

Government Exams
Government exams are a critical element in the Haitian educational system.  Students are required to take key exams (similar to SATs held for 3-4 consecutive days) for  6th grade, 9th grade, 11th grade (Retro) and 13th grade (Philo).  Children are required to pass before they can advance to the next grade level.  Most students do not pass the first time.  We are very excited to announce that all of our students who took these exams passed. A few even ranked into the highest percentile.  Congratulations!!!

Kids That Skipped
In addition to the great government test results, six of our girls skipped from 4th to 5th grade and two children skipped from 5th to 6th.

We feel quite blessed and proud of the advancement each child has made. The amazing progression has contributed to a boost in morale amidst the tough year, set backs, and slow recovery process for the country of Haiti. God has used this time and the children themselves to show that there is new life and a strong generation of not only Haitians but lovers of God being raised up. We know that your prayers have contributed to each child's growth and thank you. Please continue to pray for the school, the students, and teachers as the school year begins.

Here are a few items of interest...

30 Orphans - Unfortunately, the offer for Hands and Feet to take in the 30 orphans  mentioned in last month's newsletter was not well-received by a previously unknown Board of Directors representing the children.  Apparently, they want to control all aspects of the orphanage even the funds. Our prayers continue to be with the children that they will find a safe home and that the Lord would care for each and every child.

Port-au-Prince Fellowship Seeks Pastor - Our local church in Haiti where Bill leads worship is seeking a senior pastor to lead the congregation.  John McHoul (interim pastor for the last 10 years) has finally said "this search is taking too long" and is putting out the word for a pastor interested in heading up the English speaking fellowship.  If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested, please contact Pastor John McHoul at McHoulJ@gmail.com or bill@childhope.org.

Adriano - Little Adriano is doing well and continues to recover from surgery.  He remains in the states.  He recently had surgery for club foot and is in a body cast.  Please continue to pray for Adriano and his return to Haiti and his family in December.

Here's a new easy way to raise money for Child Hope in Haiti. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they'll donate about a penny to your favorite cause every time you do a search!

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