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Thede Tidings Summer 2004 |
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Harvest |
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"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few". It is great news to hear that the harvest is plentiful. All the factors of rain, sun, soil, and timing have come together just right. The harmful insects, weeds, and other problems have been avoided. Harvest time. Time to reap the rewards of hard work, patience, risk taking, and faith. But workers are needed to gather the harvest or all will be lost rotting in the fields. The time is now.
Thanks for helping to gather the harvest of souls for our Lord.Thank you for partnering with us in prayer, friendship and support. Thanks for being faithful in our partnership. Thanks for supporting the many areas of our work.
One day after our return to LaGonave a smiling Cory lead his workers to the house to weigh the first dates harvested this year. Heavy rains had calmed the dust and brought green grass to the island but it also damaged some of the date fruit. When the dates had been sorted and bad spots cut away over 30 pounds of dates remained. These Cory is ripening inside. There are still three bunches on the tree. This tree is the same one that produced a small crop last year. Many people are volunteering to help Cory eat his crop-so interest remains high. The newest date palms that arrived from England before our last trip to the states are growing well. Some of these trees will be brought to the mainland in the next couple of months for planting. The rest will be planted on our island.
Sorting date fruit |
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The 5 year old producing tree |
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80 Date palms from England |
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Moringa harvest is on a continuing basis and interest continues to grow. During the rainy season the leaf powder will be made as a nutritional supplement for hospital patients and for sale at the hospital pharmacy. As much powder as possible will be stored for the dry season when the fresh leaves are not available. We were able to send 32 pounds of moringa seeds to ECHO in Florida for distribution. Cory recently received a good booklet about moringa in Creole written by a Haitian in central Haiti. We plan to continue with community education on this wonderful gift from God, the Moringa Tree. We are encouraging people to plant Moringa trees in their own gardens and yards.
Moringa trees about five months after planting the seeds. |
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We enjoyed visiting with friends at the Wesleyan Festival of Nations while we were in the States. To see the flags of the nations that the Wesleyan church is serving the Lord in was wonderful. How amazing Heaven will be when we see the results of generations of believers from many lands, churches and people groups. We are so privileged to be a tiny part of the Lord's work. We will be directly involved in encouraging people to get a taste of missions by hosting work teams over the next year. Several have asked about dates already to come and visit. Visits are the best way to see what God is doing in Haiti. Even with all the political troubles last year the Lord is moving and changing lives. Missionaries are encouraged at the growth of the churches in Haiti. The harvest field is plentiful but the workers are few. There is great potential but not enough workers to get the job done. Come and join us. |
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Kris has enjoyed a harvest of sorts with her medical training. She was thrilled to return to Haiti after the evacuation to see how well the Haitian nursing staff had done. The senior nurses she has worked with did great. They used the skills that they had learned. They performed OB ultrasounds, used leadership skills, did hospital care (admissions, daily visits and discharges) and saw clinic patients. Kris helped with their questions and encouraged them but did not 'take back' any of their responsibilities. This provided additional time to study for her boards. Together the staff and Kris will focus on improving problem areas and expanding community education. The medical work continues to be an important interaction with the community showing the Lord's love. There is no good way to measure the impact of the Heavenly Harvest that a mission hospital can have. Last year our hospital recorded over 1000 inpatients, 16,000 clinic patients and at least 20 confessions of faith. What impact did those patients have in their homes and villages? How many took what they had seen and heard home and there experienced the Lord's saving grace? While there is no way to know we also recognize that there is much more to be done. |
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Medical supplies and medications are being harvested through generous donations. We are working our way though medications donated through the efforts of Dr. Emmett and also from an organization called Haitimitzvah. We are benefiting from the generous gift of equipment that became available with the closure of the EMT training program at Davenport college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A ultrasound machine is on it's way from Pennsylvania, and more medical supplies from Rays of Hope. While we cannot list everyone and don't even know all the names here on earth, the Lord is keeping track and His rewards are the best. Thanks. |
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Often we sow seeds and are not around to see the harvest. Years later perhaps the harvest becomes ripe. This is especially true with children. So we do everything possible to connect with children where they are at and hopefully see the results of our teaching when they show understanding. I have learned from teaching Eli how important it is to make learning fun and interesting, otherwise it is usually a waste of time. So when a friend asked for some information on the work in Haiti to share with their Vacation Bible School kids I added one fact that I knew would get the attention of grade schoolers. You want to make sure that kids know that they can make a difference for God by praying and even giving money. So I told about how 10 cents (a Michigan pop bottle deposit) could be used to buy medicine for a person with intestinal worms for a year. And that by treating the person, the nutrition from 30-120 pounds of food could be used by the person and not go to the worms. Wow. They heard it. But the surprising harvest from that interesting example is that we returned to Haiti with a check of over 500 dollars for the hospital work raised by 35 children and their church. Don't underestimate what a child can do for the Lord's work. Thanks kids. |
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Harvested Prayers and Prayers to "Plant": |
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-Thanks for the prayers for Kris's difficult exam. She passed her Family Practice Boards!!!
-Praise the Lord for providing our full faith promise budget.
-Political stability. USA elections.
-Carol Earl with the projected opening of the nursing school this fall.
-Debbie Mitchell and Met. Rousvel with the administrative work.
-Eli (homeschool with mom) and Anna (Haitian preschool) starting a new school year.
-Revival around the World
-Continued prayer & financial support of the Haiti church, mission & hospital
-Gentle rains.
-Additional short term and long term help. Work teams.
-Praise the Lord for the miles traveled.
-Moringa and Vetiver education.
-WISH as they provide water, electrical, and building assistance. |
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If you know of anyone young or old who would be willing to pray once a week for the work and our family, we continue to search for additional prayer support. This is a vital part of our strength and enables us to do more. Please join our team! |
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