| e-Mission Lines April 2011 |
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Touching Haiti with the love of Christ |
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HCM Ambulance Service
by Etienne Prophete
The second HCM ambulance, donated by Mike Jernigan and associates in the Atlanta area, is on its way to Haiti all decorated with the proper signs. The Haitian people have suffered for so long. The Lord is saying "Now it is time". We thank God for the generosity and compassion of the people in Stayton, Oregon and those in Atlanta, Georgia who have helped us acquire these two ambulances.
Vehicles have a hard time holding up in Haiti due to the poor road conditions. Having not only one but two ambulances is such a blessing because when one is out of commission, we will still have a second one we can rely on. How great is our God!
On March 21st one of our employees was suffering from intense pain that was suspected of being caused by appendicitis. He needed to be taken to Port-au-Prince but enduring the ride in a passenger vehicle would have been very difficult. The ambulance did a great job taking him to the hospital. In Haiti, only an ambulance can get someone to a hospital quickly. Haitian drivers make frequent use of their horns and drive aggressively. When the ambulance siren is on though everyone slows down to let it go through. Fortunately, the pain ended up being caused by gall stones rather than appendicitis.
During just the first two weeks of this month, six emergency cases were transferred to Port-au-Prince in our ambulance. At HCM we are in the business of improving lives and saving both lives and souls. These ambulances make it possible for us to now do even more to help people who are suffering.
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Soccer and More Soccer
by Alison Gaddis
What an amazing trip we just got back from. There is so much to tell you. Our kids are doing great and loving life. When we arrived, the entire soccer team was in uniform and stopping traffic in both directions in front of HCM. If you have ever been to Haiti, you know that the last place you would want to stand is in the middle of the street. The kids gave us a 5-star arrival with a parade and the works. They choreographed a line dance and were singing as well. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, minus the fifteen very large tractor trailer trucks beeping their horns for us to move!! The smiles on their faces were worth it all.
 We had a solid week of soccer. There were games, practice sessions, and coaching sessions all revolving around the "World Cup". We pretended we had teams from Brazil, Japan, England and of course the great USA. In the end, Head Coach Kari Dylong from "Brazil" and Head Coach Marcus Silva from "Japan" took home the GOLD! It was a fantastic week. I wish you all could have been there. Our two guest coaches from Brazil were wonderful.
At night we had youth rallies that the seven teens that were with us planned from start to finish. They did skits, sang songs, preached and hung out with the kids for as long as they could. It is amazing to see teens in action. Neither side could understand what the other was saying but somehow they knew exactly what each other was talking about. For those of you who sent cards, I sat with each child and read your letter and gave them any gifts you sent. It was very special. They loved it. Some of them came back more than once for me to reread their note. They were very proud to have them. They loved the cards that had pictures in them and really liked the ones that had cash! They are no different than American teenagers.
God send blessings to you all because you have sent so many to Haiti! Serving Him - Alison Gaddis
Note: You can see a video clip of the welcome festivities on our Facebook page. |
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Bethel Church in Our Midst
by Etienne Prophete
It has taken many years to develop a partnership with Bethel Church in Richland, WA. God has his own time and he is not in a hurry. He comes in due time and he will not be late. In 1981 I was hosted by the Northwest School of Missions and stayed in the home of Jan and Terry Simonson in Elgin, OR. Since then, we have remained good friends. They moved from Elgin to Kennewick, WA where they joined Bethel Church but we continued to stay in close contact.
Now for four to five years, we have been working on establishing a partnership between Bethel Church and Haitian Christian Mission. Following the earthquake of January 12, 2010, the time came for a new beginning of what was thought of to be the doom of Haiti. Bethel Church came into our midst with strength and compassion through the intervention of the Simonsons.
 On January 30, 2011, Edwens and I had the opportunity of speaking at Bethel Church. It is a large church with several campuses. The message was presented live in one building and went out via video to the rest of them. This congregation collected $254,000 for two missions and HCM was designated to receive a large chunk of money to build ten houses for the homeless and tent-dwelling people.
Bethel Church has committed to partnering with HCM for two years. During that time the leadership and the body have pledged to send teams of workers and teachers to train our people. A hardworking construction team led by Scott Metzger and Terry Simonson has already come. A second more recent team led by Dave Dawson included the lead pastor Dave Bechtel, Dave Hilliard, Teri, Betty, Theresa and Mike. They were a wonderful blessing to our preachers, staff and church leaders.
 After a long wait, but all in God's perfect timing, Bethel Church is in our midst conquering on behalf of God. Thank you, Bethel Church, and thank you, Jan and Terry, for this contact. |
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Meeting a Need, Spreading the Light
by Wendy Zehner
April 4th was a special day in the village of Bois Galette. After a busy mobile clinic, the medical team was cleaning up when we saw an older man crawl into the church supporting himself with his arms. He was wearing work gloves to protect his hands from the rough ground. His back had long ago been injured and he was left having to walk on all fours keeping his knees off the ground. He is an elder in the HCM church there.
Our team proceeded to pack up our supplies, walk down the mountain, cross the rock riverbed, and drive down the rest of the mountain to Fond Parisien passing a voodoo ceremony on the way. After arriving by at Fond Parisien, some of the team members packed up the one of the new wheelchairs that been provided earlier this year by Sid Davis. We headed back up to the village. At the point where the truck had to stop, two men carried the chair over their heads as they crossed the riverbed and then climbed the mountain. When we arrived this beautiful brother in Christ was sitting outside his hut with family and friends. He quickly crawled down and up into the chair. What a smile he had as he raised his hands to the sky recognizing God's provision. The group prayed together as more friends came out to celebrate.
 As I looked around at the joy, I knew that this church, this community, was having a huge impact for Christ, and the voodoo followers we had passed earlier were losing the battle on this mountain. Thanks to God and all of his people who listen to His commands. HCM continues to shine the light of Christ with anything and everything it has. |
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News Briefs
Facelift at the Clinic - A number of renovations have been made at the clinic recently. All the patient rooms and exam rooms have new tile floors and new doors that were built in the woodworking shop. Two new bathrooms and two overnight rooms for doctors and nurses were completed. An air conditioning unit has been installed in the pharmacy and new lighting has been placed throughout the clinic allowing everyone inside to see all the time now! In addition to this, a gatehouse was built just inside the main gate to boost security.
Update on Edwidge - In February we made you aware of the special need of Edwidge Mesadieu whose leg was crushed in the earthquake and has never healed properly. We are still waiting for her birth certificate to come out of the national archives before we can proceed with getting her a passport and then a visitor visa. Dr. Harvey Montijo, an orthopedic surgeon in Florida, recently examined Edwidge in Haiti and he plans to operate on her in Florida whenever she is able to travel. His plan is to fuse her leg making it fixed. A number of people responded to our plea for financial assistance for Edwidge and we are grateful that we now have money saved up to help fund this venture when the time is right. |
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The Power of Persistance
by Etienne Prophete
Thonny Fabien is a very determined person. In 2001, he came to our Institute of Translation and Interpretation for enrollment. At that time, he was three years behind in high school. His request was denied because we were afraid he would not be able to succeed at the level we were working in the institute. But he insisted and persisted. He was finally granted admittance and quickly proved himself in the classroom.
Among his English teachers were Sara Dessieux (then Nott) and her grandmother Dorothy Kimball. They believed in him and he did very well. With help from his longtime sponsors, Don and Dorothy Kimball, he was later able to enroll at a computer school where he studied programming, networking, computer repair, and many other things.
It was partly because of all Thonny's varied training and his obvious determination to make changes in his life and in the lives of those around him that Alison Gaddis selected him to be the director of the new Play It Forward soccer program she was starting at HCM. She could also see that he truly loves the game. His passion for it shows every time he takes the field as a coach, player, or spectator.
Their ambition and vision reaches beyond the horizon. Thonny repeatedly says, "The sky is the limit." We like the vision of this young man who is working hard to make himself and those around him into people the world can look up to. Thonny is a man of conviction. His persistence will take him to the high road in the future. We want to thank all those who stand behind him and this program.
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