Tag Archives: Galette Chambon

Aside

Committing Our Plans to the Lord

On June 12th, Jacob and I will be returning to Haiti, and I already have a list as long as my arm of projects I want to tackle once I get moved back. Of course, our ministry is not our own; it’s God’s, and being such, it requires the input and contribution of many people to accomplish all of the things God wants us to accomplish at Hope Center. We are just excited to be able to be a part of what God’s up to!

Throughout the year, I have been able to post needs that we have had there, and every single time, within minutes, God has moved someone to meet those needs, and they have followed through with making it happen. I am so amazed at how God does that! Just last week, I asked if anyone wanted to purchase boots for our security guards at Hope Center, and within 24 hours, all six pairs of boots had been ordered! Amazing! God is faithful!

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So today I have debated about whether or not I should make a list of upcoming projects and needs, or focus on just one. As I have prayed about writing this post, I have come to the conclusion that I will focus on the one God has placed heaviest on my heart, then I will briefly list other things coming up in case God wants to begin moving people to pray about becoming involved in the other projects. Every time I do post a need, however, I want to remind people that I do not post these things with the expectation of every single person taking part in every single project. Yes, God wants to use everyone to do His work, but He moves some individuals one way and others another way, and through it all, things get taken care of through the individuals He moves to be used in individual ways. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” That is what I do when I tell people about projects we are working on. I pray about needs, wait for the Holy Spirit to burden my heart then give me the voice to put it out there. Every time we have done this, God has moved people to respond, and it absolutely blows my mind every single time! Hallelujah! 

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Okay, so here’s the most immediate need: Most of you are probably familiar with our friend, Johnny. Not long after we moved to Haiti, we met Johnny, and God placed a burden upon our hearts to minister to him. He had been hanging out at Hope Center a lot, and he was incessantly making requests for things. Tony and I finally decided we needed to reach out to Johnny. We invited his mother over to talk with her about offering Johnny a little part-time job of helping us keep Hope Center clean, and we also wanted to talk with her about sponsoring Johnny in school. We felt like it was important for Johnny to learn to earn his own money to buy things he needs instead of asking people for things all the time. We also felt like Johnny needed incentive to stay in school, so we could help him with that by paying for his school. We asked his mom to take us to his school to meet his principal, and from there, God began meeting the needs of hundreds of children as people began giving to help send more children of our village to this same school.

Johnny getting ready to head to school.

Johnny getting ready to head to school.

Since that time, Johnny has continued to work at Hope Center. Tony is pretty much the only male influence Johnny has in his life because his father, who is voodoo priest, is not in the picture, and Johnny’s mother relies heavily on him to help her with the other children in their household. It has been both a challenge and a joy to watch him grow and develop over these two years. Last summer Johnny accepted Christ, and although he often struggles because of outside influence, he continues to mature as we pour into him and pray for him as well as his family. Recently, Tony felt led to ask Johnny to show him where he lives. It occurred to Tony that after all this time, Johnny has never mentioned us seeing where he lived. So Tony asked Johnny to tell him where he lives. One day, after finishing clinic early, Tony decided to pay Johnny a visit at his house. When Tony arrived there, he found Johnny covered in mud from helping a neighbor build his own house out of sticks and clay. Johnny took Tony over to his house, and this is what he found…

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Johnny in front of his house.

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Missing door and roof on Johnny’s house

Johnny, his mother, and four more children live in a three-room house, but only one of the rooms has a roof. There should be four doors on the house, but two of the doors are missing. The one room that does have a roof has many holes and open spaces in it, so when it rains, even though they have a roof, everything in their house pretty much gets soaked. Seeing this absolutely broke Tony’s heart. He immediately sent me pictures of what he saw and said that he would like to talk to Jacques to get a quote on how much it would cost to fix Johnny’s house. Jacques came to look at it and estimated the cost of repairs to be $1500. Of course, we do not personally have this kind of money, but our Father owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps 50:10), and we know that He can provide these funds in no time. The next step was to discuss the project with our CEO, Stan Buckley, to get his approval to raise the funds. Of course, Stan immediately said, “Sure! Let’s do it!”

So now is the time to voice the need. Our prayer is that God will lead enough people to participate in this effort to raise a minimum of $1500 to fix Johnny’s house. Any funds we raise in excess, we will use them to purchase beans, rice, and oil to help feed his family. What we need you to do now is to PRAY. Pray and ask God if He wants to use you in this effort. Again,  I want to reiterate that not everyone that reads this is expected to participate. God already knows who He wants to use in this project, and who He wants to use in other projects. Our job is simply to pray and ask Him to burden our hearts and move us to respond. That’s what He has done with Tony and me in every single project we have started, and every time He has been faithful to provide. It’s always miraculous how He brings it all about!

If you are indeed burdened to participate in this project, please send your tax-deductible contribution to But God Ministries and designate it to “Johnny’s House.” The website is http://www.butgodministries.com and there is a link there that says, “Donate.”  From there, you will first be asked to create an account if this is the first time you have given. Once you do so, you will see a screen that looks like this:

GIVE TO JOHNNY'S HOUSE

Designate it to General Budget, but in the comment box, put JOHNNY’S HOUSE as you see on the example. Finish filling out the form and click “Submit” and that will lead you through the rest of the process. Of course, you can also send in a check and write on the memo line “JOHNNY’S HOUSE” as well and it will do the same thing. The address to send checks is BGM, 1440 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39202. We look forward to seeing God work in this effort, and as always HE WILL BE GLORIFIED.

As promised, I said I would mention other upcoming projects as well. This is certainly not a complete list, as God is always leading us to start new projects, but these are some things you can be praying about:

July – School Tuition & School Needs Drive for Village Children (school begins in October)

August – Textbook Orders for New English Classes (classes begin in October or November)

August – Re-Order School T-Shirts (just need two church sponsors to place the order)

August-September – Backpack and Tennis Shoe Drive for School Children

Ongoing – Chicken Coups and Laying Hens for “Houses on the Hill”

Ongoing – House building (groups are always raising funds to build more houses for people in the village)

Ongoing – Thoman Hope Center II (designation already on drop down list on website)

As always, we are so very thankful for your prayers and support as you join us in all of these efforts. We consider ourselves part of a big team of believers who work together being used by God to bless others in amazing ways. We have thoroughly enjoyed having you as a part of this team! 🙂 We look forward to reporting many great things to come as God continues to use us all to bless our village one heart at a time.

God Bless You!!

Mickie

 

 

 

 

 

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June 5, 2014 · 7:00 pm
February 27, 2014 · 9:52 pm

God’s Provision is Amazing

Recently I posted about my friend, Jores, and I wanted to give all of you an update. Before I do, however, I also wanted to brag on what an amazing God we serve. Most of you reading this already agree with that statement, but it just never ceases to amaze me how our God watches our day to day experiences, and He works things out to see His Will come about in ways that we could never dream as we simply pray, “Not MY Will be done, but Your’s, oh God.”

You see, Jores has never been one to go around soliciting others to give him what he needs. Jores has always simply ministered to others, giving as he could to honor the Lord with his gifts and abilities. He never went around telling people how desperate his situation was, but rather served along side others who serve the same Lord, and prayed that God would use him in any way He wanted to use him. Then God sent a ministry to Jores’s village, Jores joined up in the cause by working as a translator, God led missionaries to go help in the school where he had been volunteering as an English teacher, then God put it upon someone’s heart to pray that he could one day go to college, then that person shared their burden about Jores to someone else, then that person found a way to send Jores to school….and now he is not only on his way to med school, but with a brand new computer to do his work on. GOD IS GOOD!!! You see, God created each one of us to do great things in His name. We don’t have to make that happen; we simply seek His Will for our lives and obey when He calls, and one day we will discover that purpose God had for us all along and HE can be praised for leading us to it.

I am so excited for my friend, Jores. He is working so very hard in school, and when he sends me messages to thank me and others for believing in him and for providing a way for him to go to school, I just thank God for the way he has worked in Jores’s life, and I pray that God will continue to bless him, give him endurance, and lead him down the path which he was destined to go. Thank you all who have prayed for Jores!! And Thank you all who have helped him begin to see his dreams come true. I am sure sometimes he just wants to pinch himself because it’s hard to believe that his dream of one day becoming a doctor is actually happening, BUT GOD knows the plans He has for Jores, who is called according to HIS purpose – plans that are meant to give him a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11) – and plans that will also give others a future and a hope. Our God is an AWESOME God.

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Jores and Tony on the day the new laptop arrived. Jores sent me a message and said, “It’s so light! And it looks like no one has ever used it!” I explained to him that it is what we called “brand new” and that he will be the first and only person to use it. It is HIS. 🙂

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February 6, 2014 · 5:47 am

Meet my friend Jores Merilus

Meet my friend, Jores Merilus. It thrills me to introduce you to him because he is a perfect example of what God is doing not just in our village of Galette Chambon, but in countless other communities throughout Haiti. The people have been praying, and God has been answering. Psalm 34:17 says that “when the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” As people like Jores cry out to God, and then continue in faith serving Him and seeking His will in their lives, God moves, and amazing things begin to happen!

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When Jores was a child, he ran along the many pathways and rock roads that wind their way throughout the village just like everyone else. He went to the well getting water for his mother just like all of the other kids. He helped his family grow their own food, and he helped his father keep up the family business of making charcoal and selling it in the market. This is the life of any young man growing up in our village. Jores was no different than anyone else….or was he? Yes, Jores was indeed different because Jores not only went through elementary school,  he went on to high school, and he not only completed high school, but he learned English well enough to get a job translating at Hope Center on a daily basis. Jores also volunteers as an English teacher at a local school in the village teaching young people who want to learn English as well. Jores is a giver. He is an extremely intelligent, highly motivated young man who has had a dream of becoming a doctor for a very long time. That dream is about to come true!

Last summer, a team was visiting Hope Center and we went to help Jores with his English classes. While there, I was watching Jores interact with his students, and I turned to one of the team members and said, “You know, that young man right there has the potential to become anything he wants to become. I have prayed and prayed that one day God would lead someone to sponsor him and send him to college.” I had no motive. I was just making conversation and bragging on one of the amazing young men who works with us. The week passed on, and on the last day, before the team left, this team member pulled me aside and said, “Mickie, I talked with my husband, and we want to sponsor Jores in college.” I was floored. God had heard Jores’s prayers, knew the desires of his heart, and had moved me to make conversation with the very one He had appointed to use as the vehicle that would take him to the place where his dreams would come true. In October, Jores began taking some preparatory classes to get him ready to take the entrance exam for medical school. He completed the classes in January and took the exam and PASSED it!! Now Jores is preparing to enter college and begin a seven year journey to the destiny God planned for him before he was even born.

I have no doubt that Jores will make it through college and become an amazing physician. He will continue to give of himself and his gifts as he ministers to people in ways I don’t even think he can imagine. ….But God had a plan and Jores had a dream. Jores prayed for God to hear his prayers and help him to somehow realize his dreams. In faith, Jores continued to grow in his relationship with the Lord, serve the people of his community, serve in our clinic at Hope Center, help his mother with their family charcoal business, and patiently wait upon the Lord.

Please pray for Jores in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead as he continues on this journey to his destiny. Pray for God’s provision. Pray for endurance as Jores has many long hours of studying and preparing. Pray for protection among his family as they adjust to his changing schedule and pressures of school. Pray for his sponsors and others who are led to give to help Jores’s dreams come true. And please continue to pray for Hope Center as we adjust to not having Jores around daily in the clinic. He will be missed.

We are so very thankful to be a part of this incredible miracle taking place. I am just overwhelmed with gratitude to our Lord Jesus for placing us in this place where we can experience His greatness every single day.

**For those of you who want to pray with us for something specific related to Jores, we are praying that God will provide for a specific need that Jores has for this coming year and that is a laptop computer. In medical school, he will be expected to do research and write papers frequently, and all of this will be required to be done on a computer. Jores does not have a computer to do his work on, and a laptop would give him the ability to take his work back and forth with him to school. I have no doubt that God is going to lead someone out there to bless Jores in this way. If God is leading you to do this, please send me an email and we can get it worked out. Our email address is tnmwest@gmail.com.  I will close now expressing our gratitude to you for your many prayers, words of encouragement, and support for all that God does through us, But God Ministries, and Hope Center. We are indeed so very blessed.

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Tony and Jores outside Hope Center Clinic after a long day’s work

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August 21, 2013 · 6:03 pm

God Wants to Make Dreams Come True

Have you ever watched someone’s dream come true? Exciting isn’t it? What’s even more exciting is to see someone’s prayers answered after they have faithfully prayed for something for years. Right now, we are being blessed to watch this very thing happening for someone we love dearly. His name is Jorese. 

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Tony and Jorese outside the clinic.

He is one of our main translators in the medical clinic, and he is so very intelligent. He is one of the most compassionate, giving people I know. We have known Jorese for a year now, and we have watched him grow so much over the months.  We are so blessed by his friendship and the contribution he makes to Hope Center.  He has a very quiet, gentle spirit, and an understanding of medical things that is amazing.  It didn’t take us long to figure out that Jorese was created and gifted by God to serve in the medical field. However, his resources are very limited. He lives in Port au Prince, but he spends most of his time in Galette Chambon, helping his mother whose health is poor, translating at our Hope Center clinic, and teaching English classes for free to children in his village. He gives so much of himself to help others. God has used this time in his life as a translator and teacher to prepare him for the next journey of his life. Yesterday, however, Jorese began a journey towards the plan that God designed for him before he was even born.

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Jorese overseeing the American mission team as they work with Haitian English students in his classroom.

Today, God began the first steps of making a dream come true for Jorese.  Yesterday, he registered to take his entrance exam for medical school. You see, Jorese has always wanted to be a doctor, but he never had the courage to tell anyone because he didn’t see that it was possible for this dream to come true. Then one day God began answering many prayers around his village. Over the course of this year, as God sent But God Ministries to the village of Galette Chambon, Jorese has witnessed God healing people, providing income for people, feeding people, sending children to school, and providing housing for people who were living in tents. He began to realize that God really does answer prayers! 

He never knew how it was going to happen, or when it was going to happen, but Jorese knew God made him to be a doctor, so he kept praying that God would make a way. Now it is happening.

So how did it happen? A few weeks ago, a mission team was at Hope Center and someone on the team was there, I believe, particularly to meet Jorese. The team went to help Jorese with his English classes, and as the class was coming to an end, I mentioned that I had been praying with Jorese that one day he would be able to go to college. Later that day, a member of the team came to me and offered to let God use her to help Jorese go to college. Since then, we have been checking into things, working out the details, and now he is registered to take the entrance exam.

I’m sure it’s bittersweet for Tony. Although he is thrilled that Jorese is on his way to medical school, he will miss Jorese and the impact he has in the clinic. We know that God already knows who will serve in the clinic in his place, and who knows? Perhaps one day, Jorese will serve as a doctor at Hope Center! Wouldn’t that be super-cool?! Whatever His plan is, we know that it is beyond what any of us can possibly imagine.

That’s how our Father, God is! Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jorese has sought God with all his heart and God has listened and is answering. Praise the Lord!!

Please pray for Jorese as he begins his journey through medical school. It will take seven years for him to complete it, and it will take much hard work and endurance. He will meet obstacles and difficulties along the way, but with perseverance and strength provided by our awesome God, Jorese will come to live the life God planned for him – a life beyond his biggest dreams. 

Thank you, once again, for your diligence in prayer for But God Ministries, for our family, for our village, and for Jorese. You play a very important part in seeing these amazing things happen here. May God bless your part immensely!

~Mickie

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April 1, 2013 · 9:01 pm

Spring Break at Hope Center

I have been working on this post for two weeks now. It has been extremely difficult to write it just because I am writing about our time together as a family in Haiti over spring break and I just didn’t want it to end! I think I will start with a recap…. It has been a difficult year and yet it has been a glorious year as well. To think, this time last year we had just returned from Spring Break in Haiti with a team from Petal, and we were making plans to move to Haiti to serve full time. Now, a year later, we have sold a house, two vehicles, all of our furniture and most of our belongings, moved to Haiti; opened the medical clinic full time; opened the dental clinic (Tony learned to pull teeth); finished the orphanage; began making our house a home by painting walls and building cabinets;  raised money for scholarships for over 200 children in our village; built over 20  houses and moved 18 families out of a tent city and into those houses; hosted many, many teams that have come from the states to serve in VBS, construction, medical and dental clinics, evangelism, and discipleship; taken mobile clinics to remote parts of Haiti; hired a Haitian pastor and countless other Haitians who for the first time have steady income for their families; seen over 150 people come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior; and now we are about to begin having services in our new church. Of course, this is not a complete list either! If I listed out everything, it would take forever to list and forever for you to read, so I have mainly hit the high points. In the midst of all of this, our family was faced with a difficult decision to sacrifice time together as a family in order to give our youngest son an opportunity to finish school in the states. It changed the dynamic of our experience dramatically, but God has assured us over and over again that we made the right choice and that He has the whole plan under control. This decision, however, has required more faith and trust in God than even our first decision to sell everything and move! We have had to trust that God would provide us a place to live while here in the states; trust that He would provide support that would cover the increased cost of living in two different countries for a period of time; trust that He would sustain us while being separated by so many miles and missing out on precious moments that we would prefer to enjoy together as a family. But God does sustain us, and He has provided in ways beyond our imagination, and for that we are so thankful. It is so hard…but it could be a lot worse, and we are thankful for what we have and how God has blessed in so many ways along the way. Now to Spring Break… Before we all arrived in Haiti as a family, the Lord made a way for us to be able to do some things together in the states as well. The week before spring break, we were invited to Briarwood Presbyterian church in Birmingham, AL, for a missions conference. God blessed us beyond our wildest dreams by introducing us to so many new friends and giving us many opportunities to visit with other missionaries and share the story of our mission to Haiti to countless people in Birmingham. We are so thankful for the new friendships we made during our time there!

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During the conference, Tony and I sat on a map where Haiti is located and the children prayed for us and our mission. Such a powerful moment!

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This is our first host family, the Shirley’s. Such a precious family!! We were so blessed to get to know them! I wish I had gotten a picture of the Warren family too! We stayed with them the second part of the week. Both were so gracious and a JOY to stay with!

At the end of the week, Tony went to Brandon to get Jacob and take him down to Dallas for a soccer showcase, and Jonathan and Katelyn came to Birmingham to finish the week with me and catch our flight to Haiti for Spring Break. I am so thankful that Tony could take Jacob down to Dallas and watch him play soccer. It is hard for me not being in Haiti, but I know it is also very hard for Tony not being able to see Jacob play sports. It is a sacrifice we have both committed to, but it is not easy by any means. We are thankful for chances to be able to to do these things that we used to take for granted before our call. At the end of the weekend, Tony and Jacob caught a flight from Dallas, and Jonathan, Katelyn, and I caught a flight from Birmingham, and we all met in Miami for our flights to Haiti together. When we arrived in Haiti, the team from Grace Chapel in Madison was already there. As always, God had already planned to have the perfect group at Hope Center for such a time as this. The team was a group of young people all around Jacob’s age that worked on construction and VBS with children on the Hill. Jacob had planned to go to Leoganne and join up with a group from Crossgates that was serving at an orphanage there, but after getting to Hope Center and getting to know this group of teens, he decided to just stay home and serve with them instead. I was actually glad it worked out this way because our family was together all week instead of separated once again. We enjoyed working with the team on a few things, but we also enjoyed just being “home” together as a family during this time as well.

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Meal time with our team from Grace Chapel

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All the young folks on the team playing cards together

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Hanging out on the water tower. Fun times together!

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Playing with the kids from the village by the soccer field

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Jacob riding Bicly’s donkey

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Family picture in front of Hope Center

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Neighbors from the hill came to help pick beans for dinner

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Me and sweet Bicly

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Each mealtime, our cooks, Vierge and Therese, wanted to have their picture made with the food. They are so proud of their jobs!

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Children having fun at VBS

We gave out lots of hugs and Easter suckers to the kids, and we enjoyed just walking around in the village and visiting with friends that we enjoy catching up with when we return to Haiti. We got to celebrate with the families on the Hill as they experienced electricity at their houses for the first time. We got to see great progress in the construction of the church at Hope Center which has made us look forward even more to worshipping with our Haitian brothers and sisters this summer. There was one really cool moment in clinic during the week that I wanted to mention. On Thursday, Tony sent for me to come down to the clinic to meet someone. Sitting there in the chair next to Tony was this precious elderly man. Tony introduced me to him and explained that this is the man who walks 8 hours every two weeks to come have his blood sugar levels checked and refill his prescription. He lives up in the mountain area. After kissing my hand, he immediately started trying to tell me something. Vladimir interpreted and I learned that this is the man who is responsible for initiating God’s vision for Hope Center and calling us to Haiti in the first place. He said, “I am the one who went to the mayor and explained that we need to partner with someone in the US to build a clinic here.” He is such a precious man!!

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Sweet elderly man who walks 8 hours to the clinic every two weeks

Another precious moment was when Tony showed up in the house in the middle of the morning with this sweet baby in his arms. She is 3 months old but she looks like she is 3 weeks old! Her mother brought her into the clinic a few weeks prior and Tony was not sure if the baby would survive. She was severely malnourished and very sick. Tony prayed for the baby with the mother and asked God to give him the wisdom to prescribe the right treatment and for God to give health to this baby. God has answered his prayer! The baby is healthy and growing! Hallelujah!

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Three month old baby that we have been praying for. God is answering our prayers and healing her body. Hallelujah!

At the end of our week together, we all went up to Thoman to go to Mathurin’s church. Jonathan and Katelyn sang and Bicly joined us for church and dinner. On the way back down the mountain, we all stopped to take in the beauty of God’s creation and take pictures. It was a PERFECT week, and we are so very thankful for the time we had to spend together!

Tony & Mickie on the way home from church in Thoman

Tony & Mickie on the way home from church in Thoman

Family time!!

Family time!!

 

Jonathan & Katelyn at church in Thoman

Jonathan & Katelyn at church in Thoman

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Jacob in Thoman

We thank you all so much for your continued prayer support as we seek to find a balance between serving in Haiti and supporting our boys as well. God is teaching us so much about our faith and perseverance at this time. As I studied the book of Hebrews this morning, God reminded me that the picture of our life doesn’t always look the way we thought it would look, but that doesn’t make it an imperfect picture. God’s plan IS perfect, and if we just trust Him and remain faithful to Him, He WILL bless us and reveal to us the perfection of His plan eventually. So many of the heroes of the Bible endured great hardship. They trusted God and He brought about so many mighty things for many years to come through the perseverance of His faithful servants. I want to be a faithful servant in both the work He has called us to as well as the role He has given us as parents. In both He is creating a legacy of faith that will endure long after we are gone. That is His perfect plan, and we are honored and committed to that work. HE is faithful to complete that good work through us, and no matter how hard it is sometimes, we will never give up on His great plan for our lives.

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January 24, 2013 · 10:04 pm

Our God is MORE Than Enough!

        I am so excited to report to you that last weekend, we moved six more families in to houses on the Hill at Hope Center. It is always a glorious day when these families move out of those nasty, dirt floor tents that are crammed in the middle of the noisy city. The moment they walk into their new house, they become overwhelmed with thanksgiving. It’s such a blessing to be a part of it. It’s such a blessing to be a part of EVERYTHING God is doing at Hope Center because He is doing SO MANY amazing things!!

Daniel, our new pastor at Hope Center, takes a picture of Stan Buckley and one of our new residents on the Hill at Hope Center as she receives the keys to her new home. Thank you Lord for Your provision!!!

Daniel, our new pastor at Hope Center, takes a picture of Stan Buckley and one of our new residents on the Hill at Hope Center as she receives the keys to her new home. Thank you Lord for Your provision!!!

          When Tony told me they were scheduled to move last weekend, I said, “Oh how I wish I could be there to help!!” The next morning I had an email from him with a flight he had put on hold for me. I knew that because he took the time to find a flight that would have me there to help but get me back in time for Jacob’s first round of the playoffs, it was important to him that I be there too. Saying “ok” to booking a last minute flight was a bit scary, but I stepped out in faith that God would provide and I booked it. I am SOOOOO glad that I did. I’m so glad that I have learned not to cramp God up in a piggy bank either!  I know He wanted me to go, so I know He will provide me with the funds to cover the expense. I have told so many people that if they are called to go on a mission trip, and they say they are going to go when they can afford it, Satan is going to see to it that they can never afford it!  That’s one area of faith I am so glad I have learned obedience in. Anyway, I am very glad I went!!
Miss Marthe, age 82, climbed up in the cab of the JAC truck and waited with a smile, for the move to her new home on the Hill in Galette Chambon.

Miss Marthe, age 82, climbed up in the cab of the JAC truck and waited with a smile, for the move to her new home on the Hill in Galette Chambon.

At the tent city in Delmas loading up the JAC truck for the first trip back to Hope Center.

At the tent city in Delmas loading up the JAC truck for the first trip back to Hope Center.

Moving the families in took two trips, the first of which had us sitting at a stand still on the road for an hour because a large truck had overturned and was blocking traffic…nothing new in Haiti. Then after they finally got the truck out of the way, a guy with a bulldozer decided it was time to do some road construction, so he held up traffic another 30 minutes while he scooped and shoved muddy rock around up and down a 40 yard section of the highway. We finally got through after roasting in the sun for a while, but all of that couldn’t suppress the smiles of the families sitting on top of all of their personal belongings piled up on the back of our JAC truck. It was the first day of a new beginning, and everyone was very excited to get moving.
Truck overturned on the road.

Truck overturned on the road.

Bulldozer working the road after truck overturned.

Bulldozer working the road after truck overturned.

Tony meets with Yonnell Hyppolite and his family while neighboring children come to welcome the new family to the Hill.

Tony meets with Yonnell Hyppolite and his family while neighboring children come to welcome the new family to the Hill.

  I also got a chance to work with the two new Hope Center cooks and housekeeper. After they were hired, we discovered not only do they not know a lick of English, but they also do not read or write! We are slowly but surely overcoming those obstacles though, and the fact that they are so appreciative of the work they have been given, the opportunity they have to be a part of God’s work AND make income for their families, and the knowledge they are gaining is so refreshing. They are so eager to please and do their absolute best. Saturday evening, after dinner was done and the kitchen was cleaned, they washed their aprons, hung them to dry, then headed home – a short walk up the hill. I went into the kitchen to check things out, and the first thing I noticed was that it was SPOTLESS. There was not one thing out of place, the counters were completely clean, and food for Sunday was placed strategically on the top shelve, neatly and covered, ready to prepare when they returned. We have had our moments of miscommunication at times, but huge progress has already been made.
Sainte-Vierge and Marie Therese, our new Hope Center cooks are so thankful for their jobs at Hope Center. When they first received their new aprons, they didn't put them on until AFTER they cooked dinner because they didn't want to get them dirty. Now they know that they are designed to help them keep their clothes from getting dirty so they wear them with pride! They wash them out in bleach water every night and hang them up to dry for work the next day. Thank you Lord for leading us to these two women. Please pray for continued understanding and clear communication as they learn so many new things required with their job. Before working at Hope Center, they had never used a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine and dryer. Life suddenly went from hard but simple, to complicated yet convenient. It was a lot to learn in a short period of time though. They have thanked God over and over again for giving them so much new knowledge....things you and I take for granted. :)

Sainte-Vierge and Marie Therese, our new Hope Center cooks are so thankful for their jobs at Hope Center. Thank you Lord for leading us to these two women. Please pray for continued understanding and clear communication as they learn so many new things required with their job. Before working at Hope Center, they had never used a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine and dryer. Life suddenly went from hard but simple, to complicated yet convenient. It was a lot to learn in a short period of time though. They have thanked God over and over again for giving them so much new knowledge….things you and I take for granted. 🙂

As a gift for their hard work, we gave all three of them a pretty shower bag equipped with towel, washcloth, and soap so that they could come in and get a nice hot shower before working each day. You would have thought we had given them all keys to their own brand new Mercedes! They hugged and kissed me on the cheek and thanked me over and over again. Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted simple conveniences like a hot shower with not just any soap but “pretty soap” to clean with. People here have to carry their bath water up a hill in a 5 gallon bucket and find a way to bathe in privacy behind their houses. This is sometimes an impossible task.  Realizing this, we decided to bless them with these shower bags and tell them that they are welcome to use the Hope Center facilities. The next day they all showed up early, got their showers, and began their day refreshed. By Monday, when I was preparing to leave, the ladies were busy cooking dinner in the kitchen. When they realized I was going to have to leave before dinner, they grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the kitchen where four pots of food were bubbling hot on the stove. They scooped out a serving from one of the pots and put it in a bowl with a fork for me to take with me on the way to the airport. It was delicious!! They were so proud, and I was so relieved to confirm in my mind that my husband will not starve during this kitchen transition. Ha!
This is Joresse. He has a huge burden for the education of the young people in his village. He is a translator for Hope Center, and on the weekends, he teaches English, music, and computer at a school in the village. He does not get paid a thing for his time, but he knows that as he helps educate children in the village, their lives will improve.

This is Joresse. He has a huge burden for the education of the young people in his village. He is a translator for Hope Center, and on the weekends, he teaches English, music, and computer at a school in the village. He does not get paid a thing for his time, but he knows that as he helps educate children in the village, their lives will improve.

Before leaving Monday, we made a quick trip back to the back of the village to a little school where one of our translators teaches English on the weekends. His name is Joresse and he teaches young Haitians English, music, and  computer classes for free in his spare time. He has such a heart for the educational progress of the children of his village. His recent request for English Picture Dictionaries was miraculously met when he received exactly enough books from people ordering them through Amazon and sending them to But God Ministries. We delivered them on Monday before I left, and the students were thrilled! He is pretty sure the classes are going to grow now that God has not only provided books but He has opened the door to send American missionaries to the school often to help with classes. Joresse did ask me to get the word out that they need laptops for their computer class. Right now they teach a class of 15 on one very old desktop computer. They not only teach the basics of computer usage, but also Word, Excel, and Powerpoint….but again, on that ONE computer. I told him that I would get the word out and then pray that God would move to provide more computers. If you know of anyone who has a laptop they would like to donate to us to take to their school, please let me know. Of course, it needs to work and have decent battery capacity since they don’t have constant, reliable electricity. I know that God will provide for their needs as we pray, and Joresse knows that too. I am so very thankful for his servant’s heart.

We put out the word that Joresse's school needed textbooks and God moved people to respond. We received enough books to give every current student a book. We presented the new textbooks to Joresse and some of his students and they were so thankful. More books will be needed as more and more students begin taking the classes.

Presenting the new textbooks to Joresse and some of his students. They were so thankful. More books will be needed as more and more students begin taking the classes.

Thank you once again for your prayers and support as we continue on this journey. As I have been writing this post, a song by Lincoln Brewster has been in my head that says, “You’re amazing – More than amazing – Forever our God – You’re more than enough.” Our God is indeed more than enough. We have cried out to Him, and He has heard our prayers. As we have sought Him with everything we are, He has kept his promises, and he has been faithful to provide for all of our needs. Words cannot describe how amazed we continue to be by the love the Father has for his children…He is indeed enough.

Walking in His Steps,

Tony, Mickie, Jonathan, and Jacob West

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December 13, 2012 · 7:33 pm

A Story of Healing and God’s Provision

Today I am just overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God for the miracle of healing and provision that He has performed in our lives. Every day God sends hurting and sick people to Hope Center – many walking hours from far into the mountains, seeking not only free healthcare and medicines, but prayer from a God-appointed, miracle believing man who loves the Lord and loves the people of Galette Chambon, Ganthier, Haiti. That man is my husband, and I am so very thankful to God for the miracle He has worked in our lives to move us to this place where we can serve Him and BE the love of Jesus to so many people every single day. Again, I am simply overwhelmed by the many testimonies God has given us in just the few months we have been on this mission.

baby

Tony holding his first spend-the-night patient at Hope Center Clinic. A two-week-old preemie who’s mother was suffering from sepsis but has now been healed!

On Tuesday of this week, around 7:30 in the evening, a local tap-tap driver brought a young mother to Hope Center Clinic for emergency medical attention. She had given birth to a premature baby girl two weeks ago, and at this point, she could not walk, she had a fever of 104, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. Her aunt held the tiny baby who was sleeping soundly, not having a clue that her mother’s life hung in the balance, needing nothing short of a miracle. Tony and Vladimir (our interpreter) and Ray (a dear friend and SP Chaplain visiting Tony right now) prepared for the task set before them. The air was heavy and urgent. Ray immediately began praying, and Vladimir and Tony set out to ask the questions necessary to diagnose the problem. In his heart, Tony prayed that God would give him wisdom and understanding to provide the care to this young mother that God would have him give in order to save her life. Within a few minutes, Tony had diagnosed the problem as sepsis and started IV fluids and antibiotics and something to reduce the fever. Desiring confirmation of his diagnosis and plan of action, Tony began to seek consultation with an OBGYN doctor and friend who had been at Hope Center just weeks ago. The doctor confirmed that he felt Tony’s diagnosis and plan were indeed correct and that she was better off at Hope Center than going to a hospital because not only had God provided the understanding and expertise, but He had already provided all the supplies and medicines she needed to get better. As soon as Tony could get a break, he went in the house and called me and asked me to get all prayer warriors on board to pray for this young mother because her condition was very serious. I sent out an email as well as a Facebook status, and within minutes hundreds of people started praying for a woman they did not know, but God gave them a burden to pray, so in obedience they prayed. “Praying” said one, “Done,” said another,” “Lifting her up,” answered another, and the responses went on and on. God had begun a chain of power that reached beyond an ocean to literally hundreds of people within minutes, and His power began to manifest itself in the body of this woman. Within two hours, her temperature had gone down to near normal and her blood pressure had returned to normal as well. She was still very week, but she was recovering miraculously. She rested in the clinic through the night, and Tony checked on her periodically. Above is a picture of Tony with the sweet baby.

This was our first spend-the-night patient at Hope Center, and as God provided everything this mother needed medically, He also provided for her family. You see, most of the time Hope Center is full of visiting short-term mission teams. Our women’s and men’s dorms are usually full to capacity and then some! However, this particular week, there is no one visiting besides Ray and Stan, our BGM CEO. That meant that an entire dorm sat empty – available for over night company! The young mother, her baby, and her aunt, who was attending her, stayed in the clinic, and several other family members, who came along on the long journey down from the village of Thoman in the mountains, were able to stay in the men’s dorm. Knowing this day was coming, God provided for this family’s needs by providing a place for them to stay while they waited for a miracle. Oh but wait! That’s not all!!

With no team staying at Hope Center, we normally would not be prepared to feed any extra guests. However, last week, our sweet friend Bicly had come by to share some fresh baked rolls with Tony, Vladimir, and Ray. After tasting the rolls, Tony asked if he could buy some from Bicly. Bicly said that he could not sell his mother’s rolls, but he could go back to the bakery and get some for Tony. So Tony gave him some money – a Haitian bill equivalent to about $13. He told Bicly to buy him a few rolls. Bicly went to the bakery and returned with $13 worth of rolls!!! Tony had three bags of rolls – enough to last him for at least three weeks!! He called me and said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of these rolls!” Well God did know. God was preparing for a few guests! Tony was able to prepare breakfast for the family the next morning before going back to the clinic to check on Mom and baby. Hallelujah!

straw

Tony needed a straw so his patient could drink while continuing to lay in the bed. He looked around and saw some oxygen tubing and cut a piece of it to use as a straw. If you look closely, you can see the straw coming out of the cup. 🙂

So the next day, after taking breakfast to everyone, he found Mom doing much better, but baby and a fever of 102 and was crying incessantly. Tony prayed for wisdom and decided to try ear drops. Within seconds of applying the ear drops, the tiny, baby girl became quiet. He started the baby on antibiotics as well, and she fell asleep in her aunt’s arms. Next, he checked on Mom. She was free of fever and her blood pressure remained normal. He started another round of IV antibiotics and prayed with her. Afterwards, he gave her a roll with peanut butter and a glass of Gatorade. She was too weak to sit up, so Tony created a bending straw for her to drink from by cutting some oxygen tubing. He sent me a picture of his ingenious work. Ha! He was quite proud of his resourcefulness. 🙂 Oh, and the rolls Bicly bought are there on the plate next to the glass.

As Mom began to be nourished, she also began to regain strength. By Wednesday afternoon, she was able to WALK out of the clinic to the ladies restroom to get a shower. Her family was elated to see her walking ON HER OWN. God had truly spared her life and performed a miracle in their lives, and they were quick to give God the glory!

Today – only two days after arriving at Hope Center near death – Mom and baby have been discharged to go back to Thoman. Baby is getting antibiotics and ear drops, and Mom is continuing on antibiotics as well. Both are continuing to be lifted up in prayer by countless believers who are rejoicing in the miracle we have witnessed this week. Not only did God provide healing, He provided food in advance for her family, shelter, wisdom in her diagnosis and treatment, strength as she recovered, medicine and supplies needed for treatment, and lots and lots of LOVE. This is truly and exciting day at Hope Center in Galette Chambon, Haiti, and we are rejoicing once again over God’s provision and guidance.

It is such a privilege to be a part of what is going on in this village. I thank each and every one of you who prays daily for our family and our ministry. I thank those of you who sacrifice each month to provide the support needed to keep our family on this mission. I thank all who follow the events that happen at Hope Center and rejoice with us over all of the ways God provides. I thank the prayer warriors who are faithful to jump into action when a prayer request is posted. Most of all I THANK GOD for what He is doing through all of us as we travel together on this journey. You have no idea how your words of encouragement, support, and prayers bless us. They really, really do. 🙂

Praise be to God for his provision!!!

Mickie

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December 9, 2012 · 12:43 am

God Knows Our Needs…from Tony West

I received this touching email from my husband this week, and I decided I would just post it as my next blog post. I am going to add in a few pictures as well. It blesses us so much that so many of you pray for us and support us through But God Ministries. We would not be able to daily reach out to so many people if believers weren’t faithful to trust God’s guidance. You all bless us as you lift us up. Thank you….

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Dear Mickie,

Tuesday, I had planned to have the day off. My plan was to get up early and read the Word with a cup of coffee. I did have one patient to see. Mirline had been in the clinic Monday night with a fever of 102. It was otitis media and horrible bronchitis. She had to have nebulizer treatments and medications to treat her infection, fever, and cough. I told her mom to bring her back Tuesday morning at 8:00 for another treatment.  (I did not expect her mom to have here at the exact appointment time).

Mirline<<<<This is Mirline in her little school uniform.

  G came to the door at 8:00 to tell me that I had a patient to see. I misunderstood him. I thought he was talking about Mirline.  However, when I got outside, not only did I see Mirline, but I saw the waiting area was full of patients! There were 7 additional patients to see besides Mirline. They were all from the village where I went a few weeks ago with a midwife to a delivery.  They had to cross a river to get here. The river level is up right now, and the currents are strong. It was a dangerous trip for them. After crossing the river, they then had to walk another hour to get to the clinic for a total of about 3 hours of walking. There were 5 children and 2 adults.  The two adults were there because they brought the children. They had minor needs. Four of the children were very sick with fever and congestion. The other child had severe pain in her leg. She had to be carried in to the clinic.  They all were assessed and treated and discharged with a bag full of medications and a few treats. 🙂  The children all needed antibiotics. We had exactly what they needed. The girl with the leg pain needed more than ibuprofen or Tylenol for her pain. We had Darvocet and topical lidocaine patches for her leg. We had exactly what she needed. We gave her the medicine and prayed with her. Within the hour, she was almost pain free, and she WALKED out of the clinic!  One of the adults is the midwife that invited me to the delivery.  I was humbled that she trusted me to take care of her grandchild and neighbors. I am humbled that God uses me to touch the lives of so many people daily who would otherwise die without medical attention. I get to see His miraculous healing power every single day.  God is so good.

7 month old twins

This is a mother of twins who came to the clinic recently. Her children had never seen a doctor before. They will now receive regular check ups and health care. Praise God!

God has provided us with with all the right medications and supplies exactly when we needed them in order to care for the wonderful people of this community. When Dr. Sullivan was here a couple of weeks ago, he commented that we were better stocked than some of the family medicine clinics in Mississippi. Each time a team visits Hope Center we gain supplies, medications, skills, and years of clinical knowledge freely shared. I am so thankful for all of this. I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing in Haiti.  One big need has been dental care. We have tons of supplies and equipment, and we have a huge need for dental care, but I just have no training in dentistry, so I haven’t been able to take advantage of what we have. Recently, God sent a team from Hattiesburg to Hope Center and a young dentist named Drew Middleton took me to school! He taught me how to assess dental needs and extract teeth! I am so thankful that God is providing not only the equipment and supplies to take care of the people of this community, but the training as well. I am just completely blown away by this. It’s additional confirmation that God is doing mighty works here in Galette Chambon. I am thankful to Drew and all of the other team members from all over the US who come here to share their gifts, talents, and expertise with us at Hope Center so that we can continue providing care to these beautiful people whom God loves.

Tony with Drew Middleton learning how to remove teeth in the dental clinic

Tony with Drew Middleton learning how to remove teeth in the dental clini

Today we had a lady out in the waiting area that was lying on the steps of the dental clinic. I asked her come into the clinic to lay on the stretcher until I could see her. She said she had severe abdominal pain and that she had lost a baby earlier this week. Initially I thought maybe she had a miscarriage or had a baby die at birth. Neither was correct. Earlier in the week, she had an 18 month old child die suddenly. She didn’t know what illness the child had.  I assessed her and realized that her major  problem was grief. I treated her medical needs, gave her her medications, then I asked Ray Meany to spend some time with her.  (Ray is a dear friend of mine who I met through Samaritan’s Purse last year, and he has been visiting here with me all week.)  Ray’s training as a first responder chaplain was exactly what this woman needed. He spent time with her and discovered that she was not a Christian. He took time to share Jesus with her, and she accepted Christ!   We had exactly what she needed. God provided.  I thought Ray had come to Haiti to support me. Ha! Although he has been a lot of fun to have around while there has not been a team here, he has been tremendous with the patients while they wait patiently to see the doctor. Again, God is providing all of our needs.

It is great that we are meeting the needs of the people. But what I am more glad about is the fact that we are doing so through the love of Christ as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” This was validated a few weeks ago when I asked the community leaders how they thought things were going here at Hope Center. They said that they were very pleased with the care that their people were receiving, but they were especially pleased with how we were showing love and loving on their people.  That thrilled my heart.

congressmenApparently the leaders of the community of Galette Chambon are not the only ones noticing what God is doing here. Today some Haitian congressmen came to Hope Center for a visit. They had heard that wonderful things have been happening here, and they wanted to come see it for themselves. We had a fantastic visit, and I even got to treat three of them for health issues. As we gain trust among the leaders of this nation, we spread the good news that Jesus loves the people of Haiti, and that God can and will provide for their needs. By they way, I have invited the mayor of Ganthier and his family over for dinner when you and the boys get here. Be thinking of a real “American” meal to cook for them. Vladimir and I have both been bragging on your cooking. 🙂 They are looking forward to meeting you all and visiting with our family. I am looking forward to sharing my family with the mayor too!

Thanks for encouraging me to write about events of the week. It s helpful. I hope the message of the notes is clear…. God is proving everything we NEED. Trusting in Him is not a risk at all; it’s faith that is moving mountains.

I miss you and the boys very much!  I am counting down the days until you and the boys are home with me.

I am attaching a few more pictures that I thought you would enjoy sharing on the blog. Thanks for keeping that up. People need to know what God is doing here, and they need to know what to pray for.

Blessings to all….

Tony

Tony gets a big hug from Esther Geoffroi after he returned from a visit to the states in October.

I got a really big hug from Esther Geoffroi after I returned from my visit to the states in October. I was gone for 18 days and to Esther it must have seemed like an eternity. I know she is going to be very happy to see you and the boys when you get here. Everybody will be actually.

Long day

This father brought his little boy to the clinic a few weeks ago. They waited for a very long time before finally getting in to be seen. The boy was very hungry so I gave him a little can of Pringles. He fell asleep standing there with his hand in the jar.

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