A Very Successful Trip to Haiti

     This month we have the joy of reporting to you about a very successful trip last month.  We have just returned from a 9 day trip to Haiti and the only word to really describe the trip is “successful”.

     This trip included new elements for us.  This was the first time we took a team to serve with us.  It was a combination trip between New Life Church of Venice, FL, Evangelistic World Outreach (EWO) of Haiti, and Haiti Care Mission.  It was a great joy to combine the strengths of each of these ministries.

      As you remember from last month, the purpose of the trip was to build a roof for a church, complete office tasks for EWO and to distribute HCM items to the children.  It is very exciting to tell you that all of those purposes were accomplished and MORE. 

     When we arrived on Saturday, the men on the team headed directly to the mountain area of Lake Mirogaine where they spent 5 days.  The first day they participated in a Bible school graduation ceremony for the EWO Bible students.  This was a significant  time as new pastors were being commissioned to go out in their home land and share the Gospel.  The next day, they had the honor of ministering at the church services at a church in Arnoux. 

    Bright and early on Monday morning, they headed to Caiman to begin the construction on the roof.  The initial thought was that the project would take about 3 days to complete, but the men worked very hard and completed the roof in just two days.  This left them with extra time, so they spent one day constructing a roof for a chicken house for the church in Arnoux.  The chicken house will house approximately 1000 chickens and will help produce an income for the church.

     When they arrived back in Port au Prince, we did not hesitate to give them some more odd jobs at the EWO compound and they completed each of them with excellence.  These men really gave 100% in serving.  We are very proud of all that they accomplished.  They truly proved to be the hands and feet of Christ in their work and in the love that they shared with their Haitian coworkers and new friends.

    While the men were out in the countryside, the ladies (both big and small) stayed in Port au Prince.  One of the tasks we completed was office work at the EWO headquarters.  The team was able to assemble 6300 Bible booklets for their chapel program, create visual aids for the teachers and help with organizing supplies at the EWO headquarters.  It was a privilege to be able to complete simple tasks that will enhance the learning of the students and ease some of the work load for the EWO staff.

     Another major portion of the trip was dedicated to doing the work of Haiti Care Mission.  While in Haiti, the ladies had three opportunities to minister to the children and distribute gifts of love.  We visited three schools and met with over 900 students.   In all, HCM supplied over 1500 items for the children.

     At each school, we sang with the kids, shared a Bible lesson with them and gave them a gift to remember how much Jesus loves them.  The students were very grateful and in each class one student came to the front to offer a prayer over us and express their thanks.  It was touching to think about the fact that we went to Haiti to bless them and they were very eager to bless us.  One little girl even went out to the vendor on the street during her recess  and purchased candy sticks to bring to us.  It was extraordinary to see the gratitude that they showed and the love they gave back to us.

     In addition to gifts of backpacks, shorts, cars and dresses, we also distributed hundreds of salvation bracelets.  A salvation bracelet is a witnessing tool that can be used to share the Gospel with a simple illustration of colors.  When we talked to the children about their unsaved friends, they were excited to have a tool that they could use to share the Gospel with their friends.   While we gave the bracelets to the students, I(Lynn) received a revelation of what is going to happen as each one of those students shared with the Gospel with their friends. I can only imagine how many new Christians are getting their names written in the book of life through those bracelets and message they carry.  It was a powerful moment for me.

     We feel very blessed to have had this opportunity to share the Gospel and share the love of Jesus with these precious students, but we know that none of it could have been done without you.  You are the hands and feet of Christ as you make these items and give financially into this ministry.  You may have not been on the ground in Haiti but you were there with us through the many sacrifices you have made.  In essence, you were on this team as well.

     As one of the team members stated, “There is only one word to describe this trip...successful.”  It was  a very successful trip in the number of things that were accomplished but most of all because of the way God used this team to bring His love to Haiti.  We are very grateful for this team and we are very grateful to be able to serve in the country we love….Haiti.  

Praises and Prayer requests

· Praise the Lord for a successful trip for Haiti Care Mission and our team.  There was a great deal accomplished for His glory.

· Praise the Lord for His provision as items kept coming in up to the day of the trip.   He provided many items in perfect God timing.

· Praise the Father for His divine connections and new relationships.  It is amazing to see how He weaves His children together.

· Please pray for the  people of Haiti.  As Americans gear up for the season of buying and giving gifts, remember the Haitian families that struggle to get by each day.  May they recognize and rely on Jesus as their source.

· Please pray with us for growth in the seeds that were planted during this trip.  We had many opportunities to share the Gospel and teach the Haitian children how to share the Gospel.  Pray that God’s word will go forth and change lives through the people we were able to minister to. For Him be the glory.

     Thank you to each of you that have given deeply into Haiti Care Mission and into this trip, in particular.  Some gave with finances, some gave with materials, and some gave through prayer.  Each of these is of unexplainable worth, but we can testify to the power of those prayers.  The prayers of the faithful pulled us through some difficult circumstances on this trip.  From the bottom our hearts, we say “Thank you” for giving, for creating and for praying.  We appreciate all of you.

 

To view pictures of the trip, visit our DropBox account at

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bk3r7itdtrdjp8o/FTdKYn9MKX

 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn and Lance Anderson, Mission Directors

Time to get ready

     With our next trip approaching very quickly,  we have shifted our focus from our receiving phase into a planning and packing phase.  We are very grateful that through the last month we have received boxes almost 4 days a week.  We have a very nice supply of items that are ready to be taken into Haiti. Since our trip is at the end of the month, we have now moved into full scale planning and organizing.

    Packing for our trips is never an easy process.  We are always striving to bring in the most amount of items possible.  We start our planning by asking the question of “what will we bring”, then we move on to the question of “how many will we bring” and then we advance to the question of “how will we get all of this packed?” 

     There is no scientific formula for packing the way we do.   We are constantly revamping the way we pack and reorganizing the items.  Because we are taking a team with us this time, we will have the advantage of several extra bags and extra hands to help handle them. We are currently looking at taking in approximately 1,000 gifts. 

   Lance just returned from a short trip to Haiti to help with more of the preparations for the upcoming team trip.  He spent four days with a missionary delivering supplies to the work site and preparing for the team.  He also brought in a large load of items we will use for distributions when we are in country. 

    The focus of the upcoming  trip will be two-fold.  Half of the team will be working on construction on a small brush arbor church in Caiman.  The church is already built and being used but it is in need of a roof.  The team will stay in the countryside at the work site for as long as it takes to complete the job.  Please pray for the protection of the team as they work and pray for cool weather.

    The other half of the team will be staying in Port au Prince to do a few distributions and complete office work for the missionary we will be staying with.  We will be traveling to 2-3 schools to distribute items and share the Gospel with the children. 

     Traveling with a team will be a new adventure for us.  We normally travel as a family “team” but this time we will be bringing four extra workers with us.  We are very excited to share this ministry and our experiences with these wonderful friends.  Please pray for our team as we take them past their comfort zones and into a lot of unknowns.  We have done our best to prepare them but there are just some things you can not be prepared to encounter.  We know this team is full of high level servants of the Lord so we are confident they are ready for this challenge.

     As we approach the next few weeks, will you please take some time to pray for us and for this trip?  We are expecting to see God work in wonderful ways. Will you pray for God’s hand of protection to be over us and His hand of guidance to lead us?   Pray that God would use us to accomplish His will in the people we encounter and  serve.

    Thank you to all of our sewing groups who have been hard at work preparing the tools we will use during this trip and thank you for all the prayer warriors that will call on the Lord for this trip.

Praises and Prayer requests

· Praise the Lord for a successful trip for Lance to Haiti.  He had favor every step of the way and accomplished much to prepare for our team trip this month.

· Praise the Lord for many new items that have been arriving daily.  The ministry has been blessed richly in the last few months with more goodies for the kids.

· Please join us in prayer for protection and guidance of the Lord over us and the team we will be traveling with this month.  Pray for safe travel and God appointments.

· Please pray for the missionaries and pastors in the field we will be serving with.  Pray that we can walk alongside of them and lighten their load.

· Please pray for the sewing groups of Haiti Care Mission.  Winter is a busy season for many of them.  Pray that they would be blessed for their hard work and service to His children.

Thank you for the faithful prayers over this ministry.  We appreciate all of those who lift us up.

 

 

Four years of working for Haiti

It is hard for us to believe that it was just four years ago that we began this missionary journey of serving the people of Haiti.  Our hearts are so sold out for Haiti that just the mention of the country makes our hearts skip.  As we begin our 5th year of serving Haiti, it seems like a great time to look at all the ways God has taken care of us and the work He is doing through Haiti Care Mission.

As we look back to where our journey began, we can see the favor we have received from the Lord.   From the time we moved to Florida to now, we have been blessed in so many ways.  From the selling of our home and possessions in Iowa to the purchase of our home in Florida, God’s favor has been evident.  We remember the way He brought a buyer for our home in the last month of our departure and how He opened doors for us in Florida that made our realtor’s head spin.  God has taken care of every detail of our personal lives, and we are very grateful.  

In our time of serving Haiti, we have watched major changes of the country through an earthquake, hurricanes, floods and political upheaval.  But in all of the chaos and destruction, we have watched God move on behalf of His people.  We were able to be on the front lines helping bring relief to the people.  We were both humbled and honored to be part of His work of bringing hope through the trauma and destruction. 

 Now, as we serve with Haiti Care Mission, we are so privileged to have an active role in bringing comfort to the precious little ones of Haiti.  It is such a joy to see the children get excited about the Bible stories and items that we bring in.  We are always encouraged by the way God supplies the items we need in just the right time.  When we put out a notice of a need for flip flops or backpacks, we can expect God to work through our supporters to hear the call and provide for the need.  We  have learned to “expect” rather than “hope” for the need to be filled because God has been faithful every time. Watching God work from the front lines is so exciting and we hope we never lose that thrill of watching Him work for His people.

Through it all, we have been so blessed through our supporters.  It is only because of you that we are able to fulfill the work that God has called us to do.  Each connection that God has brought to this ministry is a gift.  Through the internet, friends, churches and family, we have linked arms with people all over the country who share a common goal of sharing the love of Jesus with the children of Haiti.  We are extremely thankful for your faithfulness. Through your prayer, sewing work, donations and financial gifts, you have provided the tools we need for this ministry.  Your support has made this journey a blessing and never a burden. 

We are blessed and appreciate all that you have sown into Haiti Care Mission and our family.  It is our prayer that you will receive rich blessings you deserve for the seeds you have sown into this ministry and our lives.  We pray that as we move forward in our service to God and Haiti we will see more and more of God’s direction, protection and provision for this ministry.

 

 

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.

1 John 5:2-4 NKJV

 

Prayer requests and Praises

 

· Praise the Lord for the healing He has brought to Lynn’s Grandma. She has overcome some very large hurdles in the past month.  Thank you for joining us in prayer. 

· Praise the Lord for boxes of flip flops, school supplies and backpacks.  We are very grateful for the way the Lord brings in the items we need in perfect timing.

· Please join us in prayer for all the preparations and details of our next trip.  We are in the final stages of preparing a team and making arrangements.  Please pray for every detail to be worked out in God’s plan.

· Please pray for the continued protection of Haiti from tropical storms. 

· Please pray for wisdom for us as we lead and direct Haiti Care Mission.  We want to do all things in God’s plan and God’s direction.

Thank you for your faithful prayer support. We appreciate your investment in this ministry.

 

Living victoriously in Christ,

Lynn and Lance Anderson, Mission  Directors

 

 

 

Back to School time

It is “Back to School” time for most parts of the United States.  Some states have an earlier start than others but, regardless, most students in the U.S. will be back in the classrooms very shortly.  Similarly, it will soon be  “Back to School” time in Haiti as well.  This year, the children of Haiti will return to school in the month of October. 

     Back to school in Haiti is similar to in the United States.  Parents have to find supplies, uniforms, and clean shoes for their children.  They do not have extensive lists like we have here, but there are certain things that the schools require.

     One of the most important things that students need for school is a good backpack.  Last year, we had a tremendous response to our requests for backpacks for Haiti.  This year, we are asking once again for sewing groups and churches to help us supply backpacks for the children of Haiti. 

     We are looking specifically for drawstring backpacks.  These backpacks are not large and bulky, but rather they lay flat and are easy to transport.  We have had several groups make them in the past and they have indicated that they are not an extremely difficult project.  A pattern for drawstring backpacks can be found through an internet search. 

     If you are not capable of sewing backpacks, there is another way you can help.  This time of year is a perfect time to find backpacks on sale in your local stores.  Last week, we found them at Walgreens for just under four dollars for a pack of two.  This is a very practical and easy way you can help the children of Haiti with us.

      If you produce or purchase any backpacks, you can mail them to us at the address listed on the bottom of this newsletter.  We will be taking the backpacks to Haiti in November when we travel there next. 

     Thank you to all of the churches and groups that  collected flip flops for HCM.  Even though flip flops cannot be worn to school, these shoes  are helpful for children.  Currently, we have a nice supply of flip flops but we will always be looking for more.  We look forward to using these shoes as tools to share the love of Jesus.  It is really hard to imagine how we can use something so simple and easily accessible to us in the United States to minister to the needs of  His children.

     On a personal note, we would like to thank everyone who lifted us up in prayer last month.  We have had a very successful start to our school year.  We have felt the power of your prayers.

 

     Please join us in praying for the children of Haiti to have a great start to their school year as well. We are thankful for all of you that will take the challenge and join us in praying, sewing or purchasing backpacks for the children.  Together, we can make a difference in God’s kingdom by sharing the love of Jesus to the children of Haiti.

 

Prayer Requests and Praises

· Praise the Lord for a calm storm season so far.  There have been no major storms and we are praying God continues to hold His hand of protection over the island.

· Praise the Father for new connections for Haiti Care.  Even when we are not expecting it, He brings people into our path.

· Please pray for Lynn’s Grandma.  She is experiencing some health challenges. Pray for peace to surround her and the love of God to fill her heart.

· Please pray for continued increase in the areas of sewing groups and partners.  We are looking forward to seeing this ministry grow as God directs.

Thank you for your continued prayer support. We believe in the power of prayer and we appreciate each prayer warrior for this ministry.

 

Living victoriously in Christ,

Lynn and Lance Anderson, Mission Directors

Mission Statement and Statement of Faith

  This month, while talking to a potential sewing group, we were asked two very important questions, “What is your mission statement and what is your statement of faith?”  Quite frankly, we were very glad that she asked.  You see, we feel that every mission needs to have a solid mission statement and statement of faith if it is going to operate with excellence and direction.

       For us, these questions were a catalyst to spend some time reviewing our mission statement/statement of faith and checking to see that we were on target with the purpose of the mission.

     The Mission statement of Haiti Care Mission is as follows:

     Haiti Care Mission is an independent Christian mission outreach to children in need in Haiti.  Currently, Haiti Care Mission provides pillow case dresses, pinless cloth diapers, backpacks, shoes, toys and sleeping mats to children in Haiti and beyond.

     All items are sewn and/or donated by volunteers.  They are distributed by means of individuals and mission teams traveling to Haiti, as well as by missionaries in the country.  These items are used as tools in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a small token of His great love.

     All expenses incurred by Haiti Care Mission are covered by donations from individuals, groups, and churches. 

     After we spent some time working on this, we made a few changes and additions to reflect the work that Haiti Care Mission is currently involved in.  We are pleased to report that we feel very strongly that we are working diligently to accomplish this mission statement. 

   The second piece of that question was about our Statement of Faith.  We appreciate that this group was concerned about matching their church statement of faith with our statement of faith.  We respect the desire to link arms with people who believe as we do and are committed to sharing the Gospel with us.  The statement of faith for Haiti Care Mission is as follows:

     We believe that God is a person who reveals Himself in the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  He is three persons but only one God.

     We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin birth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, died and was buried.   We believe He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  We believe He will return again to establish His eternal Kingdom.

     We believe that the Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God, meant for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us in righteousness.

      We believe that a Christian life displays the fruits of the Spirit and reflects a life of living in unity with fellow believers.

     We believe that the Bible calls us to use our gifts, talents and treasures for the good of the Kingdom.  We are to serve and not be served, as Christ did. 

     We believe that God called everyone to share in the care and comfort of His people. 

      We believe that salvation is guaranteed only through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  We believe this promise is available to all who will receive Him as their Savior.

     This month has been a time for us to review and recommit to the  mission statement and statement of faith for Haiti Care Mission.  We hope you will be inspired to consider your own personal mission statement?  What are you living for and what is your purpose?  Once defined, it will direct your steps.

Prayer requests and Praises

 

· Praise the Lord for the hard working volunteers who sew the items we deliver to Haiti.  May these workers be blessed abundantly for the labors of their hearts and hands.

· Praise the Father for His direction and guidance.  We are thankful that He is in control of this ministry and He is leading the way.

· Please pray for continued protection for the people of Haiti from any tropical storms.  The season of storms is upon us and we are praying that God will divert any storm systems away from the island of Hispaniola.

· Please pray for our family as we make the transition into the new school year.  The girls and I will be starting at a new school this fall and Lance will be continuing with his second year of pastoral licensing classes.  We are looking forward to new challenges and new relationships.   Pray for us to make easy transitions.

Thank you for your continued prayer support. We believe in the power of prayer and we appreciate each prayer warrior for this ministry.

 

Have a blessed month!

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn and Lance Anderson, Mission Directors

 

 

 

Summer work at Haiti Care Mission

The summer work at Haiti Care Mission is a time of organizing and preparing.  Since a lot of sewing groups take time off in the summer, this is a good time for us to get caught up on inventory and spend time preparing items.  We need to arrange everything we have so we know what we will be taking on the upcoming trips, what we need more of, and what items are being sent out with missions teams.

One item we are arranging for is footwear.  Since our last newsletter, we have had a very big response to the need for flip flops.  We have several groups that have made  commitments to provide shoes for the children of Haiti.  We are currently expecting over 300 pair of flip flops to arrive in time for our next trip.  We are very excited about the number of shoes that have been committed and look forward to bringing them to the children. 

 Since there has been a great interest in providing shoes, we have decided to keep this as an ongoing project of HCM.   A simple pair of shoes is very helpful in preventing disease, and when used in correlation with the Gospel message, they can be used to change a life for Christ.  We love how God can take a seemingly simple item and allow us to use it as a tool for Him. (Please remember to send only new, unused flip flops and understand that light weight flip flops are best due to packing and shipping concerns.)

 Another exciting activity of the summer is when we meet new sewing groups.  One group is the result of our daughter, Grace, and her enthusiasm for Haiti.  When we returned from our last trip, she gave a presentation to her class about life in Haiti and what we do when we travel there.  Her teacher was really touched by the presentation and she decided to start a sewing school for the other teachers.  As their project, they will be making dresses for the mission.  We are very excited to see how God took the words of a 2nd grader and propelled an adult into action.  We are very proud of our girls and it is truly an honor to have them on our ministry team. 

 In addition, we are taking some time this summer to make memories with our girls.  We are really enjoying our time off of school and schedules.  We are using our time to laugh, play and appreciate each other.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Haiti Care Mission and our family. We appreciate each of you.

 

Prayer requests and Praises

· Praise the Lord for a great response to the call for flip flops.  We have several groups committed to providing footwear for our next trip. 

· Praise the Lord for the partner ministries that bring the items to Haiti and distribute them for us. 

· Please pray with us for the people of Haiti.  They live a life with many hardships and challenges.  Please pray for them to know the joy of the Lord as their strength.

· Please pray for the Lord to direct and lead us in every way.  We know that God’s plans for Haiti Care Mission  are perfect and we desire to follow His plans.

Thank you for your continual prayers and support.  We appreciate all of you and your commitment to serving the children of Haiti.

Happy Fourth of July!  Celebrate your freedoms of living in America and life in Christ.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn and Lance Anderson, Mission Directors