We have Power! Thank you to
everyone involved the power installation project- those who gave, those who came, those who worked countless hours helping from abroad. We are so grateful!
The first phase of this project is finished and we are enjoying the use of electricity at the land. Phase 2, solar panels, will be happening soon!
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Expanding the Team
We've been experiencing a lot of "new" this month. Arguably the best "new" news is that we have hired some new employees.
A few days before we opened our doors to the first mom and baby, Dadou our program Director prepared himself to lead the first official employee meeting. Included in the meeting were the four men who had just received official roles with Second Mile Haiti! Jenn also had the privilege of sitting in. "It was a complete blessing to be able to hear Dadou lead that group, to hear those guys chime in with what it means to be a good employee and about how they would, together, serve God through their work. I firmly believe that God hand-picked our staff. We've been blessed with some one-of-a-kind people."
Finding work is no small thing in a country where an estimated 70% of adults aren't privvy to the income one associates with formal employment.
Needless to say offering full time employment with a monthly salary is no small thing either. We're taking our commitment to these individuals just as seriously as they are. We respect them deeply. We are grateful for their impact on Second Mile and of course, we believe wholeheartedly in the beauty of relationship and in rewarding a job well done.
We have also hired two local ladies who were selected by the village
Committee after we made them aware of our need for help. These two can do anything! We are thankful to have them with us to keep things running smoothly.
Lastly, we hired a Nurse! Miss Myrline is a nursing school graduate with four years of experience in community health programs. Her main roles are to help the mothers adapt to the feeding schedules, to monitor the children's progress, and to identify any gaps in the mother's understanding of malnutrition, it's causes, and how to prevent it's recurrence. She's a great teacher and motivator. We've seen the first two moms grasp a whole new level of understanding. Empowerment in action.
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Miss Myrline talks nutrition with Marie-Ange's mom
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Interested in giving?
Donations can be made online or by check
*Second Mile Ministries is a 501c3 non-profit. Donations are tax-deductible for US tax payers.
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a few of our current needs
Monthly Donors of any amount (i.e. $15, $25, $50 or $100) to help "sponsor the stay" of moms and babies.
$600 to order special Nutriset products for treating severely malnourished who have diarrhea. Replacing fluids, vitamins, and minerals in these sick children is a delicate science. We really need the right products! If you would like to help type "meds" in the memo when making a donation.
Digital SLR camera (new or used) for media
Projector for education sessions
Feel free to contact us with your questions.
connect@secondmilehaiti.com
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connect with us:
Jenn Schenk: jenn@secondmilehaiti.com
Amy Syres: amy@secondmilehaiti.com
for general information:
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SECOND MILE HAITI, OPEN AT LAST!
You read that correctly. It's true. On May 10th, 2013 we opened our doors to a sweet 19 month old baby and her ever faithful mom. And what a wild moment it was. After 19 radical months of chasing one small milestone after another we finally got to experience our vision in action. One moment we were preparing, planning, and fundraising for this day and the next moment we were weighing a fragile 9-lb child and then showing mom where she could wash her clothes and use the restroom. Un-real.
Really, the enormity of the day's events didn't fully register until we were back at our apartment and looking through the day's pictures, selectively choosing which photo would be used to reveal the big news on Facebook. Photos = proof. It was as good as a pinch to let me know I wasn't dreaming.
And that's when it hit. God... you have been here the whole time.
He never let us falter. He didn't let us mess up... or at least nothing too detrimental. He provided just the right people, in just the right circumstances, with just the right timing. Every need answered. Second Mile Haiti, the way it stands today, mirrors perfectly the vision he laid in my heart and on Jenn's heart, simultaneously, less than 2 years ago.
And that's when I cried.
So many times along this journey we have felt little hints of confirmation that our heart's passion to help mothers keep their children, sick and poor though they may be, was something God put there with a bit of an agenda.
He has helped us to see and believe that He has huge plans for the mothers that make their way through Second Mile.
Crazy love, perfect healing, restoration, hope.
We are now two weeks post opening day and well... it's all still pretty new and exciting. Every day comes with set of new experiences to learn from.
We have already seen the hope-and-healing thing start to play out. On May 15th, four days after accepting our first case, a second child and her mother were referred to us by the local hospital. This 15-month old baby arrived weighing just over 12 lbs. Now, 10 days later, she has transformed into a heavier, healthier, and happier version of herself. She arrived with flaccid limbs and not much energy. Now she is nothing but smiles. She babbles profusely while performing all of her new tricks.. including crawling, clapping, and bearing weight on her legs. We are so happy that Witchana's mother got to be with her baby during this transformation and that she was able to gain a few things for herself during the process. Witchana wouldn't have it any other way!
A big thank you to everyone who has hung with us from the very beginning. Let's celebrate and thank God for his faithfulness!! And for those of you who are just joining us in the journey I urge you to stop by Facebook and like Second Mile Ministries. With God in the driver's seat there are sure to be more great stories like this one. You won't want to miss them!
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daydreaming about goat's milk
Jenn, our fearless financial leader, says some funny things sometimes. If you aren't familiar with her uncanny ability to strike a deal or her unyielding ambition to conserve cash, you might be thrown off when she asks
"do you think can we make our own tomato paste?" or "did you know that if our cow produced 6 gallons of milk a day we could sell and make $100 a week?"
These questions, stem from our desire to be as sustainable as possible in Haiti. To do that we have to know what we need and how to get it, most affordably. Or, we have to make it, create it, grow it, or mate it...
If we want to last in Haiti we need a plan. Right now, that plan is to use this awesome property that God provided to produce as much as possible for the ministry from within.
Here's the fast version: We know we must feed the moms daily and we desire to feed the staff as well. Enter...gardens. We know that these meals are traditionally made complete with the addition of goat or chicken meat and sauce. Enter...chickens, goats, and bunnies. We know that in order to make therapeutic milk for the babies we must have access to a milk source. Enter...Mama Cow.
We also hope that by using every last corner of our space to grow food that we might just have some extra to sell and share, which helps ensure that we can continue to pay the hands that care for the gardens and allow our mom ministry to continue. That's the plan. And like Jenn said today, "we're almost there."
It's hard to believe that in last month's newsletter we were rejoicing over freshly tilled land and our very first goat. Much has changed in just a few short weeks. The land is now home to 40 chickens, 4 rabbits, 1 male goat, 6 pregnant females, 1 cow and her calf, and a whole lot of vegetable babies.
Of course it's not only about making sure that Second Mile Haiti can stick around for the long haul... it's also about being good to the environment and being an example to men and women everywhere that through the ground, God gives good gifts to his people. 
Thank you for helping us get this far!
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He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:3-5
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