Is was truly a blessed and amazing night! The crowd of over 450 people gathered together in loving support to celebrate the Lord's continued faithfulness for Child Hope.
As you walked into The Grand reception area, you were greeted at the registration table where you received a packet of information about the ministry and a schedule for th
e evening. Next, in the lobby area, there were numerous display tables highlighting various aspects of Child Hope's activities in Haiti -- child sponsorship, the transition program, jewelry, T-shirts and other
items made by the children of MDL, Camp-in-a-Box info, a beautiful new childrens book called Mika, a fictional story about a young Haitian girl who ends up on the streets of Port-au-Prince and gets rescued by Child Hope
The reception area was filled with people who had
known Child Hope from the beginning, others who were hearing about Child Hope for the first time, people who had visited Haiti as part of a missions team, others who were with churches and groups who supported Child Hope, even supporters as far away as Ontario, Canada. There were also people who were with the mission team from Mission Viejo Church who had been in Haiti when the devastating 7.1 earthquake struck in January 2010.
As people moved from the reception into the
beautifully decorated dinner area, you were escorted to your assigned seat for the dinner. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and share personal experiences with Child Hope and Haiti. There were a number of people who were moved to tears just hearing other people's Haiti stories and experiences before the official program began.
People were blessed with beautiful worship music and singing from Joey Vroom and Sean Mathison -- both dear friends of the Manasseros. Sean Mathison had been a part of Child Hope's first pre-Haiti ministry, the Mister Bill Music.
The event was MC'd by board members Chris Cannon, senior pastor of King's Harbor Church,
and Peter Bohlinger, chairman of the board. Early on, it was made very clear that the event was not a "fund raiser" but was truly just a time to celebrate God's provision and protection of the ministry, especially in light of the earthquake -- where not a single Child Hope employee, child or Haitian staff life was lost. It was a time to celebrate and give Jesus all the glory that is rightfully His.
One of the first speakers of the evening was Robert Taylor, a board member, and one of those who was in Haiti when the earthquake hit.
Throughout the evening, and between speakers, powerful videos (developed by Adam Ebert) featured the Child Hope story, the many ministries within Child Hope's activities in Haiti and a very special video featuring the children of Child Hope speaking their hearts and hope for Haiti's future.
Next, Kathy Ireland shared a very insightful and powerful speech on how her involvement with Child Hope and visit to Haiti changed her. How people involved with the ministry and the children she met on the streets of Haiti and at the Child Hope homes taught her lessons on life.
Bill and Susette Manassero followed Kathy Ireland with separate presentations. Bill, who took a little more lighthearted approach,
f
ollowed with a call for prayer -- something he feels the ministry needs most. Susette focused on the church's responsibility to be ministers of reconciliation (1 Cor 5:18) and the beauty of short term missions teams, which included a heart-wrenthing account of how a short-term mission visitor made an impact on the life of her daughter Vienna. There were few dry eyes in the house.
The evening concluded with a video featuring some of the Child Hope kids, followed by a prayer, with Bill and Susette, led by board member David Beck, senior pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church in Sacramento, for the missionaries, the children and staff of Child Hope and the nation of Haiti.
Everyone at Child Hope wants to thank the many people who made the evening happen: Katie Tiffany and Jessica Selga, who planned the entire event. Adam Ebert who put together the videos. Dee and John Flowers who helped decorate and designed the amazing centerpieces. Brian Pappagallo and Star Merten for the design of the dinner logo and other graphic design help. Joy Bohlinger and Neal Parrow for helping put together the lobby displays organizing consistent prayer in advance of the event. And a host of other dear friends and volunteers who assistant before and during the event. Thanks to all of you!
Why does a dinner even matter? As Susette Manassero said in her speech, "It's not about lifting up individuals. It's about our Lord, working through all of us, the Body of Christ, for God's glory and purpose." The dinner was the first event Child Hope has ever held like this. It brought together just some of the many many people who make up Child Hope International. It was a time of fellowship. A time to share stories, tears and our passion for Haiti. It was a time to visit with a few old friends and to meet new ones. It was a special time for introspection and celebration.
Throughout the night, glory and honor was given to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through whom all things are made. He made Child Hope happen, He sustained the mission through difficult times and it is He who is transforming young lives for His glory today.
All-in-all, it was a powerful, thought-provoking and moving evening where, as one visitor put it - "God showed up!"
