Belated Thank you!

Unfortunately, we totally missed a big thank you in November...

This is a team that stayed at the guest house Gerritt and Julie previously managed and loved them so much, decided to bring blessings to them in their new home at the AWAKENHAITI house.  They came to Haiti to serve and reserved one of their days and some resources to fix up some items around the house as Gerritt and Julie were getting settled.  Thank you to the Mountain View Church of the Brethren for blessing Gerritt and Julie and AWAKENHAITI!

"We and AWAKENHAITI were so blessed by the Mountain View Church of the Brethren from West Virginia!  Their team was 11 strong (5 men, 6 ladies) and included many familiar faces from their 2012 team that we met as they stayed at HUG's guesthouse.  They thoroughly enjoyed lunch - sandwiches of ham/cheese, snacks, cookies plus our addition of sodas - and immediately starting serving!  They not only purchased 2 ceiling fans with light and a wood door plus hardware but expertly installed all of it!!   Those that were not working on the installs tackled projects like cleaning ALL the windows (they are gleaming!) and a host of other smaller projects.

 They also visited the Good Samaritan girls home and brought a craft which they all loved (unfortunately I did not bring my camera).  The guys even repaired a bedroom door while at the girls home! "

Julie and Gerritt

THANK YOU!!!

The Christmas Give

If you are a Good Samaritan child sponsor and haven't yet sent your letter, it's not too late!    Letters will be leaving for Haiti next Wednesday morning.  Please don't miss this opportunity with the kids, it is such a special time for them when they receive their sponsor letter!
We do still have a few boys who would love to have a sponsor, would your family like to take on sponsorship as a family Christmas gift?  if so, please email ah.childsponsors@gmail.com


It's also not too late to be part of our Christmas Give...if you need a small gift for a teacher, co-worker, friend, family member a bag of savory Haitian coffee or a handmade ornament make a perfect gift and for a great cause!

The Christmas Give

This Christmas season might sneak up on us as we continue to enjoy this very unusually mild fall!  Normally, AWAKENHAITI invites the child sponsors to give a little extra if they are able so that Max and Margarette can present each child with a new outfit as a Christmas gift.  This year, though, in addition to that, we are bringing a little bit of Haiti to our AWAKENHAITI community to be part of "The Christmas Give" in order to provide Christmas gifts for the kids in the Good Samaritan homes as well as the young adults in our transition program.  Please check out the flier below and get in touch with us if you would like to be part of it!
Thank you!
We trust you will enjoy this Thanksgiving and Christmas season with friends and family!

A new season

October began a new season for AWAKENHAITI...
Gerritt and Julie were introduced a few months ago as AWAKENHAITI's transition program directors, but their official start up with AWAKENHAITI full time was October 1.  They have been working hard already in several ways; getting to know all the kids names and faces, getting to know Max and Margarette, and holding more than a handful of meetings with individuals who offered insight into how we best create opportunities and an environment in which the students in our program can be prepared for interviews, employment, and independence.  We are off to a great start in ministry together and the AWAKENHAITI leadership is very excited!
We all felt it necessary for them to live as close to the Good Samaritan homes as possible as they begin this stage of the transition program.  Today, Gerritt and Julie will be moving into the AWAKENHAITI guesthouse.  Please be in prayer for them as they transition and get accustomed to living in a slightly different area and as they dive deeper into their ministry roles.
This decision has also brought on a new season for not only their living situation, but also for Junior and his family.  Junior and his wife, Nadege and their daughter, Joyce have lived at and managed the AWAKENHAITI guesthouse since the Denlingers moved back to the U.S. in 2013.  Since 2010, Junior has worked for AWAKENHAITI translating, driving, providing security, and most recently providing dental care for the kids and in medical clinics.  We hope to continue working with and doing ministry with Junior when we are in Haiti.  As a thank you for his commitment to AWAKENHAITI for the last several years, AWAKENHAITI assisted Junior and his family in securing a new home for the next year as well beds, a table, and shelving units.  Junior's family moved into their new home last week and we ask you to join us in praying for them as they begin this new season.

God has done great things in and through AWAKENHAITI and we are ecstatic to begin this new season as a ministry developing the transition program further for our students!  God has planted gifts and dreams in each one and we can't wait to help them discover what it is God has in store for them!

Team September

What a blessing it is to be in Belot in Haiti.  This mountain community has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth!  The people are equally beautiful.

We have seen a lot of people in the medical and dental clinic the last two days.  The needs are unending and difficult to understand from our perspective.  We hope to show the love of Christ and meet some of their needs.

We also hope to bring encouragement to Pastor Reginald and the community.  God is working and moving in this place.

The team has been amazing with the patients and have had tons of questions about culture and way of life here.  I think they will leave here blessed more than what we can offer the Haitians we are spending time with.

Tomorrow we will finish with a shorter day of clinic and hopefully we will take a walk along the ridge of the mountain and see more of the community.

We will have a busy afternoon traveling back into the heat of Port-au-Prince so we can unpack our medical stuff, pack up our personal stuff and visit the kids one more time.

Family members of this team, thank you for sharing your loved ones with us and the Haitian people! 

End of Summer Newsletter

Please us the link below to read updates on what's happening in the ministry.
NEWSLETTER

Also, one update from the newsletter already, below is a picture of the church/school building in Belot.  They were able to purchase rebar and get set for concrete with donations that have come in so far.  Thank you to those who made donations toward that!

Benefit Concert on the Lawn

We hope you will join us on Labor Day!

Good Day PA

Thank you to ABC27 Good Day PA for inviting AWAKENHAITI to share a little about what we do!
click on this link to view:
Good Day PA 

MINI CARNIVAL

We hope to see you Saturday!

fresh paint

Team July planned to spend a day and a half repainting the outside of the boys home.  As things can go in Haiti, plans changed, things happened and with the boys' help, we got prep work done but just couldn't get to the color painting.  Max ended up hiring a few painters to come in and get the job done, which ends up being better anyway, the more we can support employment there, the better.
Here is the finished home, surely the boys love the fresh makeover!

Welcome to the AWAKENHAITI team, Gerritt and Julie!

     In addition to supporting the daily needs of the children at the Good Samaritan Homes, AWAKENHAITI desires to look to their future.  In order to help meet the needs of the young adults finishing secondary education, AWAKENHAITI has begun a transition program.
     The mission of the transition program is to assist the children we minister to through the Good Samaritan Homes in reaching their full potential in Christ and in becoming successful independent adults.
     Creating opportunity and providing life skills and business training for young adults has been on the heart of AWAKENHAITI since 2009.  For the past three years, we have offered a scholarship fund to support post-secondary schooling and/or professional training opportunities.  We currently have four young adults in the program with the addition to three more in September 2015.
     Over the last seven months, the AWAKENHAITI leadership team has been in prayer and conversation about the next steps for the ministry.  Through this time, the leadership team has determined that there is a greater need to not only provide scholarship opportunities, but to take that a step further in offering life skills training, assistance in early stages of career research & goal setting, and guidance through life changes from living in the children's homes to transition home living, and eventually independent adult life.  AWAKENHAITI determined that in order for this to be a successful and sustainable part of the ministry, it would be necessary to have AWAKENHAITI in-country oversight.
     These months of prayer and conversations have led to this exciting announcement:

     We introduce to you our new Transition Program Directors, Gerritt and Julie VanWagenen!  Gerritt and Julie have been living in Haiti for 3 1/2 years.  They bring their knowledge of Haitian culture, language, and experience in business development, as well as work with children, teens, and young adults.  In addition, they truly have a heart for transitioning young adults well, and most importantly a desire for furthering God's kingdom!  Gerritt and Julie will continue to live in close proximity to the Good Samaritan homes as they begin to develop a relationship with the kids and Max & Margarette.
Prior to Haiti, Gerritt and Julie called Boston their home.  Their supporting church is Westgate Church in Massachusetts.
Together, Gerritt & Julie, AWAKENHAITI, and Max & Margarette will work toward opening a transition home and further developing the transition program.  We welcome Gerritt and Julie's leadership and oversight and we welcome them to the AWAKENHAITI team!
     We know it will take a lot of work and many resources to successfully transition the Good Samaritan young adults.  We are committed to the work and we would love for you to partner with us and spread awareness!  We hope together, we can make a difference in the lives of the Good Samaritan children, the young adults, and in Haiti!

Gerritt, helping Widnelson read a letter from his sponsor

Julie, helping Jamesly read a letter from his sponsor

Team July Day 6

Today was our scheduled field trip to the beach with the Good Samaritan kids.  We took them to the retreat center of Cadasha.  This organization has an outreach program for orphanages and organizations.  We loved hearing their vision for further development and had a great time at their facility.  We love being able to network with other organizations as we all work toward a common goal:  loving others and furthering God’s kingdom. 

The older kids had to get a soccer game going of course!  Most of the kids loved swimming.  The littlest ones spent most of the day in the water.  We are so thankful for the flotation devices that were donated, THANK YOU!  And THANK YOU to those who donated to make our beach trip possible!  It was great to get them out for a fun day and to see them having so much fun!

The team has been incredible with the kids and it has been really cool to watch each one play and love on the kids!

On behalf of AWAKENHAITI, the Good Samaritan family, and the Haitian people we work with and serve, thank you team for all of your love and service and to your families for the support you have provided in your family member being part of this week!  We trust you have been blessed just as much if not more than what you have given!  We pray you carry what you have learned back into your own community!

Team July Days 4 & 5

Sunday in Haiti

We began our day being blessed by the Haitian worship team at Port-au-Prince Fellowship.  What a treat, they have the opportunity to use their gifts!

We spent the afternoon with the Good Samaritan kids as they received and wrote sponsor letters.  The kids love receiving their sponsor letters.  Reading and replying goes on for several hours!

Today, Rich and Ryan did some maintenance at the guesthouse.  Thank goodness for them!  Our kitchen sink was leaking and our refrigerator door completely fell off.  We then went to the boys home to play, do some prep work for the painting that we had planned to do and yet again, Rich and Ryan did some fixing.  The boys’ basketball hoop was hanging by just a few nails so they were unable to play.  With some innovation, it was bolted into the frame so the boys could get back to playing!

The paint job we had planned to do on the exterior of the boys’ home couldn’t happen due to delay in getting the paint we needed.  This is just one of those things that is very difficult here, it has taken days and we still don’t have it.  Max will have some men come in to do the painting, which will be income for them.   We plan to have pictures of the freshly painted home when I return in September.  After a short visit to the girls’ home, we enjoyed Viviane’s delicious macaroni and cheese and meatballs!

We are looking forward to a fun day taking all of the kids to the beach tomorrow!

Please go to our AWAKENHAITI facebook page for pictures!

Team July Day 3

Our second day in Belot was a day of learning and heartache and blessing all intertwined.  We continue to learn more about the sweet people and their way of life, living day by day.  As we set up to see the adults that needed dental care, we quickly realized there were too many to see all of them so the process of a pre-evaluation began.  As Junior did an initial screening to determine the “worse cases”, we were all a bit surprised that they all were in fact “worst cases”.  The dental problems and tooth pain these people are dealing with are unfathomable.  We couldn’t possibly help them all today. 

As we talked further, it was decided we would do a little treatment on a few, do a screening on all and try to set up a program for monthly dental care in hopes that over time, their problems would become lessened, education and preventative care would increase.  We pray this program can come into fruition.

At the end of our time in Belot, we walked just up the hill to the peak of the mountain.  The view is breath taking.  The manner in which the people farm the mountainside, the amount of walking up and down the mountain, the difficulty in transporting their goods are all unthinkable to us as we stood there looking at the entire community spread all over the mountain.  The people and the land of Belot are beautiful.  God has blessed them.

On our way down the mountain, rain the people of Belot had been praying for to water source of income began to fall.  We left there being reminded that God provides.

This evening was spend with the Good Samaritan girls.  What a treat to have time with them, playing cards and watching them compete with one another with the soccer ball.

This team has served well and is willing to be flexible, challenged and stretched.

We ask for continued prayers for us for the next few days for continued safety, good health and more learning experiences.