Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
As we see more and more young men and women graduate out of our homes and as we see new children enter the homes, we are reminded how grateful to God we are. As you will read in this newsletter, the little children of yesterday have become men and women of today who are starting new lives and trusting in God for their futures. We have been blessed with the opportunity to care for these special children, to educate them, teach them the Word of God and hopefully prepare them to live independently and become a light for Christ in the world. Most of our graduates are just beginning their journeys. They still have more education ahead and careers to develop. But we are hopeful for what lies ahead. For us, it can at times be challenging. If you are a parent, you know how tough it is sending a son or daughter off to college. Now image sending 6 to 10 off every year. It's a bit much. They are like our own children. We have been together a long time and have been through much together. We will miss their daily presence. But like our own children, they will not be far away, nor will they be alone. _____________ ...for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 _____________ We pray daily for them and will be there to help them move into a place of their own, help them continue their education, find work and counsel them as they deal with the new challenges of independent life. It is exciting to see these young men and women transitioning "out of the nest" and into the world. We pray daily for them -- that they be firmly grounded on the Rock of their Salvation, that the Word of God is deeply ingrained in their hearts and that they be committed to serving their God and serving others. To honor and obey the Lord in all things. _______________ Train up a child in the way he should go,And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6_______________ But, in the end, you send them off with hope and a prayer -- that the same God that delivered them from tragic lives and pain will deliver them from evil and continue to work in their hearts and minds as they grow and mature in their new lives. We love every child whom God has sent through The Lighthouse doors. We try to work with and stay in touch with as many as we can. We will share their difficulties and continue to counsel each of them in the hope that mistakes will be few and that they always seek the Lord's guidance first. But they are only human and we know from our own lives that our characters are shaped by our mistakes as well as the successes. And, as a parent, we know that sometimes all we can do is pray -- and that there is tremendous power in prayer. ____________ The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.James 5:16 _____________ That is why we always invite you to pray with us. Pray for the new children God has brought into The Lighthouse. Pray for those who remain in our care. Pray for each and every child who has graduated out of the The Lighthouse. And please, continue to pray for us and our staff as we continue to minister and work with these very special kids day-in and day-out. Thank you for your ongoing support and all your prayers and support. Thank you for joining us in the call to serve the fatherless and needy. _____________ Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.Psalm 82:3 ______________ We are encouraged by the young people who are transitioning out of the The Lighthouse. Their passion and love for the Lord are inspiring. We are confident that they will make a difference wherever they go. Please don't forget them. And, if you are so inspired, please keep their pictures or a list of their names in your Bibles, on your refrigerators or somewhere visible so that you will remember to pray. Go to our graduates page and write names down or print out the page as a reminder. They still have many challenges ahead and need our prayers. It is our prayer that these special young people, who were once the rejected and abandoned of Port-au-Prince, will rise up to transform a nation. This is not just a hopeful dream of some overly optimistic missionaries. This is the status quo of a God who specializes in miracles. Thank you again for joining us in prayer. Keep praying! God bless you!
In Christ in Haiti,
The Manasseros
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Meet Naillou
 Naillou is one of the newest additions to The Lighthouse family. If you regularly read our newsletters, you might recall Naillou's photo as it was featured in our July 2013 photo of the month. Little did we know that two months later, Naillou would be one of the MDL kids! We first met her when she started visiting our feeding program earlier in the year, at age one and a half. Naillou lived in a tent with five other young girls in a nearby tent city. When the girls heard about The Lighthouse feeding program through other children in the tent city, they came to see if they could get a free meal. Their first visit was a wonderful experience as they enjoyed a delicious hot meal, sang lots of songs, listened to Bible stories, made crafts and played fun games. They became "regulars" after that. One of our interns, Kelsy Baugh, took a strong interest in the girls and would always play with them at the feeding program. One day, when she walked the girls home, she found out that they lived with an aunt but that the aunt was seldom there. The the six young girls were often left alone. When Kelsey would visit, she would often find Naillou in the care of a 10 year old girl named Christina. No other girls were home. This was disturbing and we began to get involved. Kelsey would help out the children as best she could, taking them to our medical clinic when they were ill and bringing them food. We later found out that little Naillou's mother abandoned her when she was 3 months old and the aunt took Naillou because no one else would. The aunt asked us to take Naillou in because she was unable to care for her. We investigated further, prayed a lot and eventually decided to bring her into our care. Since coming to The Lighthouse, she has received lots of love, not only from our nannies and staff but also from the girls living at our girls' home. The once very shy and stone faced one-and-half year old has blossomed into a wild, independent two-year-old who loves playing with her new "sisters" and being part of a special family.
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Naillou with interns Katherine Gavin and Mary Dyer and Adnaiika.
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We are blessed to have Naillou at The Lighthouse and will continue to love her, care for her and offer her a home where she can see and experience the overflowing love of Jesus. Please pray that Naillou will come to know Jesus personally as her Lord and Savior and that she will grow into a young woman of God.
If you are interested in sponsoring Naillou, please click here.
Thank you and God bless you.
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Lighthouse Kids Gallery
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Escheline's 4th Birthday - (left to right) Cindy, Escheline, Kevins and Estaline
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Richard and Daniel performing on violins at our MDL School graduation ceremony.
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 | Jefflina getting her first guitar lesson while Daphne and Hunter encourage her on. |
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The Dream Team: It's a Family Affair
Families are discovering that Dream Team Missions
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Father/Son Keith and Charlie
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Trips can provide an excellent opportunity to unite and
serve together for a very good cause. In our first Dream Team, five different family groups of two or more were represented. It brought the families closer together, helped them grow in their faith and gave them a different perspective
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of the world.
Parents are excited to experience Haiti with their children - seeing a perspective of life and the world they would never otherwise know. One mother said, "My children need to see that there is a world beyond electronic media and the materialistic world we know in the states. I wanted God to rock my children's world." Butch Koechig, a father who registered for the first Dream Team with his wife, later found out
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Mother/daughter team Kim and Sandy
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that two of his older children also wanted to join, "It was definitely a life-changing experience for me and my family." His daughter Kim (24) and son Nathan (29) both shared that the trip made an indelible impact on their lives. "It's funny how people see their own 'big problems' diminish in the light of the problems
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Brothers Pete (L) and Andy (R) joke around with dear friend Ryan (middle) during kitchen duty.
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faced by the people of Haiti," said Bill Manassero. "We see it all the time. Dear people who come to bless end up being more blessed by those they came to serve."
A number of families have also registered to attend the next Dream Team Missions Week November 30 - December 7, 2013. Personally hosted by Bill and 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 missions team or other missions group coming. Individuals, couples, families and singles 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 still available but going quickly. If you are interested in being part of the team register online with a $400 deposit per person. Then, you'll 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 hopefully seeing you in Haiti soon!
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News Briefs!
Great News! Junior Fan Fan Gets Fully Funded for His Senior Year -- Junior Fan Fan received enough sponsorship funds to cover his entire senior year at Morning Star Christian school. Congratulations Junior! We cannot thank all of you enough who joined us in prayer and financial support to make this happen.
Junior writes, "Thank you so much for giving to my school fund. This allows me to attend school, purchase school supplies, uniforms, and meals for school. I do not know how to thank you for your willingness to give to help me complete my schooling at Morning Star Christian Academy. I know that without your help, I would not be able to attend this school. My hope is that by attending this school, I will be able to apply and attend college in the states next year."
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 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. Junior graduates from our boys home this year. Click here to see the results of this effort.
Cherley Passes Major Major Government Exam -- Moves One Step Closer to Medica l School Dream - Cherley Saint-Ange, 2012 MDL Graduate, passed the grueling Haiti 12th grade Reto government exam on her first attempt. It is estimated that nearly 80% of those who take this exam fail it the first time. This is the second to the last government test required to complete secondary school. The final government exam, Philo, occurs in 13th grade but is said to be not as difficult as Reto. Cherley is an excellent student and, if she passes Philo in 2014, she will be the first MDL kid to have completed secondary school. She is very excited and it means, for her, that her childhood dream of one day becoming a doctor is getting that much closer. This year, we will be researching with Cherley the myriad of medical school options available in Haiti, the Caribbean and, possibly, North America. It will not be easy to first, be accepted into a program and secondly, finance the education, but we are praying that the Lord, who has watched over this young former restevec (child slave) for the last 7 years will continue to provide what is necessary to see Cherley's dream come true. Cherley's faith is strong and she thanks the Lord for her success in this exam. Please keep Cherley in your prayers, that she may one day realize her dream of becoming a doctor and serving the people of Haiti. Thank you. |
Photo of the Month
 | We are truly blessed with some of the most amazing people who serve with us here in Haiti. Here is a crazy photo of some of our staff, their families and friends of MDL at a farewell dinner for Mama Cindy's "temporary" departure. |
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Seeking People With a Heart to Serve
If you have a heart and call to serve the children and people of Haiti, we have lots of excellent opportunities at Child Hope. Here are some of our available positions:
Transition Program Vocational School Director - An individual is needed with experience in school administration or in a vocational training program to manage the school and help 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.
Guest House Night Manager - An individual is needed to be Guest House Manager for the evening shift from 4pm to 8am. Key qualifications include attention to detail, with the gift of hospitality and a heart to serve and minister to teams.
Interim Boys Home Mom - A caring, loving mom is needed to fill in for momma Cindy who is on leave of absence for an indefinite time.
If you are interested in any of these long-term volunteer positions, please contact Child Hope at info@childhope.org.
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