|
|
|
|
|
| Child Hope International |
August 2013
|
|
|
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
The month of September marks our ninth anniversary here in Haiti. It was September 1, 2004 that our family, with our entire lives packed into fourteen 30-gallon bins arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for the adventure of a lifetime.
As we reflect back it seems like we have been here so much longer. For Elijah, for example, he came here when he was 4. He is now 14. Haiti is more home than California. And for those of us who serve the beautiful people of Haiti here daily, it is more home to most of us than the states as well.
We've seen attempted kidnappings, riots in the streets, fuel and food shortages, UN occupation, hurricanes, earthquakes and many lives transformed in the mighty name of Jesus.
It has been an experience of contrasts, too diverse to explain. Some of the most intense and frightening times of our life and some of the most beautiful and compelling-- all within the last nine years. i (Bill) can definitely say these are the best years of my life.
Haiti is a place where there is very little "gray" -- everything is either black or white. It is the same in the spiritual realm. In Haiti, everyone says they are "believer" -- believing both in God and the devil. It's just a question of whom they chose to trust.
God's calling for us, spurred by the dream of our daughter Ariana, who, at 9 years of age, knew Haiti was where God wanted her, brought us to serve street kids, restavecs, homeless and at-risk children in Haiti.
Nine years ago, we started with 12 boys. Today, we have 45 children, both boys and girls. And we continue to add more children and graduate others to independence. We have a school serving our kids and others in the local community; a medical clinic; a guest house; a feeding program that feeds 150 kids three times a week and a transition/vocational training program. Much has happened.
Of the original 12 boys, only 1 remain in the home. The others have grown up and have moved out. Three have jobs in the U.S., one was adopted, two moved back with their families, and one lives on his own.
It's a blessing to see God's hand upon these very special children. He has been faithful to provide and protect.
We look forward to sharing more stories in the future of how these wonderful, special children grew up to become responsible citizens, good husbands, wives, fathers and mothers and devoted disciples of Christ.
Thank you, Jesus, for 9 amazing years!
And thank you to all of you who have supported us, prayed for is, cried along with us and remained faithful over the years. To you, we can never express the overwhelming appreciation and love we have for you. You are in our prayers always.
God bless you!
In Christ in Haiti,
The Manasseros
|
|
|
Meet Frantzi
 Frantzi Saint Fleur is a very special young man who has been at The Lighthouse boys home since March of 2013. Prior to living at the boys home, we knew Frantzi from our feeding program and was frequently seen wandering on the dirt roads nearby the orphanage. His warm smile and shy demeanor always made him a friendly, approachable boy whom many of the Child Hope staff befriended.
Living in a local tent city with his father, we knew very little of his background. Then, he showed up one evening at the Manassero's home -- badly beaten and bruised. An open gash in his head and marks across his back and chest indicated that his injuries were indeed from a beating.
In the states or other first world countries this incident would have been reported and severe action taken bu,t in Haiti, there is no such outlet. We instead, had to deal with the situation ourselves. We asked Ivens, the principal of our school and a prominent presence in the tent city community, to visit Frantzi's tent to find out what happened. There, Ivens found Frantzi's father, extremely intoxicated and barely coherent. When confronted about his actions he amitted beating Frantzi and shamefully apologized, saying he didn't want the boy and couldn't care for him. It broke our heart. As we continued our investigation we found out that this was not the first time and that these beatings had been going on for years. We also found out that he also had a mother but that she left the home many months before. We were able to locate Frantzi's mother to see if she could take care of him but she was homeless, mentally distraught and incapable of caring for him. She pleaded with us to take him.
To us, it was evident that Frantzi was what we define as "at-risk" -- a child whose life is endanger in his or her current environment or situation. And, after speaking to both parents again, we got their permission to have The Lighthouse take over the care of Frantzi. It is our prayer that Christ will bring total restoration and healing to this family but, in the meantime, Frantzi is in a safe place where he is loved and well cared for.
Since joining our boys home, Frantzi has taken well to his new "family." He loves his new home and all his new brothers and sisters. Now attending the MDL School, he has a hunger to learn new things and is often seen studying or looking at his new school books. He also loves playing soccer and other sports every chance he gets. But the most visible change in Frantzi can be seen at our daily devotions or at our worship meetings on Wednesdays and Saturday nights. He is the boy with his arms opened wide, kneeling on the ground, sometimes with tears rolling down his face. He has finally found true comfort and peace in the loving arms arms of his perfect, faithful and enduring Heavenly Father. He is home!
We thank the Lord for the privledge of knowing Frantzi and ask you to join us in prayer, that he would continue to grow in his new faith and find forgiveness for his parents. We also pray that he would one day grow up to be a mighty man of God.
If you are interested in being one of the first to sponsor Frantzi. Just email us at info@childhope.org. God bless you.
|
|
Child Hope Video Series - Video #4
The fourth and final video of our Child Hope Video Series is one of our most powerful and compelling stories in the series. It is the story of Christella Jean Juste. Christella came to us after living on the streets of Port-au-Prince on her own for three years. We received a call from a friend who said she was hiding out at a boys home, hair cut short, dressed like a boy, pretending to be a boy, just so that she could get off the streets. When we met her, she was afraid that she would be sent back out to the streets but, instead, we told her we had a girls home -- a place where she could be safe and no longer afraid. Christella's story shows how this very special young lady, who experienced much abuse and tragedy throughout her young life, found victory, peace and eternal triumph -- far surpassing anyone's expectations.
This is the final video in this series featured through this newsletter. To view any of the videos from this series, go to you will need to type in the password: Haiti.
Produced by award winning Filmmaker, W. Ashley Maddox of Missionary Films, the videos take you inside "The Lighthouse," sharing an exclusive view of the ministry from the inside out. Maddox, who spent 6 days in Haiti capturing his own unique perspective of God's work in Haiti through Child Hope, was allowed free access to film the children and activities of the mission.
We hope you will be blessed by this and the other videos in this series. Feel free to post them on your Facebook page or other social media to share with your friends.
God bless you.
|
|
2013 Camp-in-a-Box - A Wonderful Experience!
Camp-in-the-Box 2013, held at Global Outreach Haiti facilities in TiTanyen, was another amazing camp experience for the children of MDL. With the camp theme focusing on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26), the children learned a dynamic lesson about the incredible power of the the Holy Spirit and how He blesses each believer's life fully. Jody Giles served as our camp pastor and teacher.
This year's non-stop camp games and activities kept the kids busy, between  chapel sessions, meals and team sessions. Robert Taylor held the whole event together as camp commander and chief and as he directed a dynamic team of 26 counselors and volunteers who worked tirelessly with the kids, organizing events, addressing medical injuries and other camper needs.
 The kids were blessed with a very special treat on the last day of camp as they were all herded into our two camp transports and brought to the Kaliko Beach Resort, up the road from the camp. Basking in the sun on the beach, swimming in the large resort pool and eating the delicious food, the kids had the absolute perfect ending to a beautiful camp week. A very special thank you to all of our volunteers who put this incredible event together, as well as all who supported our campers and leaders financially or through prayer. Your efforts blessed many. God bless you. |
News Briefs!
Junior Fan Fan Needs Your Help -- For those of you who know him, Junior is an amazing young man at The Lighthouse, with a true heart for God. Although he has experienced deep tragedy in his life, he has found victory through Christ Jesus and he wants to proclaim the Gospel to Haiti and throughout the world. He is currently a senior at an English language school in Haiti with plans to attend Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrietta, California. Click here to see how you can help his dream come true.
Back to School at MDL School - This year we have a special  opportunity to bless the children at MDL School and help them start the school year right. There are a number of specific needs to be met outside the realm of books and uniforms. Some of these needs may not be glamorous... but, items like new socks, t-shirts, and underwear are still essential for our young students. To make sure we get the right sizes and amounts, we have created a special Target shopping list that you can find here. Please help out our kids in any way you can. |
 Dream Team 2 - Nov 30 - Dec 7, 2013
It's back! A new Dream Team Missions Week has been scheduled November 30 through December 7, 2013 and we would love to have you be a part of the team.
Personally hosted by Bill & Susette Manassero, these events are for people who have always wanted to visit Child Hope in Haiti but were not part of a formal church or other missions group. Individuals, couples, families and other interested people are invited to join one of our Dream Teams, to experience a week at The Lighthouse, Child Hope's mission in Haiti.
The cost of the week is $800 per person, excluding airfare, and will include all on-ground expenses such as room and board (three great meals a day), health travel insurance, transportation, and all activities. Space is limited, so to insure your place, register online with a $400 deposit per person. Interested people need to complete a brief application online. If you have any questions, please feel free to write us at info@childhope.org. Also, if this week doesn't work out for you, another Dream Team Week is scheduled for April 4-11, 2014. God bless and we look forward to seeing you in Haiti soon!
|
Volunteer Positions Available in Haiti
If you have a heart and call to serve the children and people of Haiti, we have lots of opportunities at Child Hope. Here are just a few of our available positions:
Transition Program Vocational School Director - An individual is needed with experience in school administration or in a vocational training program who manages the school and helps set up curriculum for our various training programs, including woodworking/furniture making, sewing, baking, silk screening, technology (web design, computer repair) and jewelry making.
Transition Program Business Coach - An individual is needed who can both teach business classes to our transition program students as well as coach the leaders of the various businesses to design and implement successful business plans.
Missionary and Intern Liaison - Work directly with our missionaries and short term volunteers as their primary contact for the organization. Help prepare those seeking to serve, orient new staff, assist with needs, counsel and assist volunteer staff with job and/or life issues and help train.
Guest House Night Manager - An individual is needed to be Guest House Manager for the evening shift from 4pm to 8am. Detail-oriented individuals with the gift of hospitality and a heart to serve and minister to teams are key qualifications.
Interim Boys Home Mom - A caring, loving mom is needed to fill in for momma Cindy who will be out for a leave of absence for an indefinite period of time.
If you are interested in any of these long-term volunteer positions, please contact Child Hope at info@childhope.org.
|
Photo of the Month
 | MDL School Kindergarten and Sixth Grade Graduates prepare to march down for the opening procession to launch the Class of 2013 graduation ceremony
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
