Tag Archives: Haiti

October 6, 2024 · 2:35 pm

Learning to Breathe Again

Hello Everyone!

As the six month mark approaches since the day I said goodbye to part of my very soul, I am reflecting on the mighty works of our God in the midst of it all. Throughout this four-plus year journey with cancer, Tony and I learned many things. One of the main things we learned was to trust God completely in EVERYTHING. It seems that after giving up literally everything we had built over the years to move to Haiti twelve years ago, you would think we could say we had little more to learn about trusting God completely. However, the word “completely” means in all things, and that includes our future together. Probably the biggest thing we learned through the whole cancer experience was to understand what “healing” truly is and what a miracle salvation is. When we embrace what Paul exclaimed in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” we are able to better understand what it means to trust God completely….even in sickness and death.

So many of you have followed this blog over the years as I have posted updates on Haiti, and it means so much to me. I haven’t posted much on it over the last few years just because I post most updates on social media. However, I decided to go ahead and post here for those who do not use social media. If you have never followed before and are getting this through a link on social media, I would love for you to subscribe to the blog so you will get the email in the future because we need many people praying for our Haitian friends. I also need for you all to continue praying for me as I adjust to this new normal without Tony, and as I continue to handle “all things Galette Chambon” in Haiti on my own. After all, there is still A LOT going on in Haiti, and God is still moving. He is definitely not done with Haiti nor is He done with me in this mission. I am committed to my calling as a missionary to Haiti, and God uses me daily to minister to our people in Galette Chambon in many different ways. I just have to do it long distance and in tandem with our Haitian leadership on the ground.

Our mission at But God Ministries is to cover the SPHERES as explained on our website (Spiritual, Physical, H20, Education, Roofs, Economic Development, and Soil). Right now, we are having to be extra creative in order to continue managing all of these aspects of the mission with the presence of a dangerous gang threatening our village every day, but with God’s guidance and provision, our Haitian leadership and I work together every single day to find ways to get it done.

Over these twelve years of ministry, I have rarely shared with people what I do day in and day out. I would rather share what GOD does and how he uses so many of his people to carry out the work He desires to complete. However, it occurred to me recently that when people don’t SEE me doing things in Haiti, it might be easy to assume I’m no longer working with our mission there. After all, I have been posting more about my art and such lately simply because it is necessary for me to supplement my income now with my art, and that must be promoted if it is to become viable for me. Therefore, since many of you may not know what my day looks like as a long-distance, displaced missionary, I thought I would take you through a typical month for me. During the first two weeks of each month, I am busy working on a wide variety of things. These include sponsorship updates, writing bios and posting new sponsorship kids on the website, editing school photos, posting the photos on student web pages, collecting receipts of expenses in Haiti and turning them in to the BGM office, collecting photos that are sent to me by various Haitian employees to prepare them for social media posts, working on class rolls, removing students who have left the village, adding new students who have enrolled, managing the goat sharing program, getting updates on our university students and the professional school, etc. I actually manage nine different online spreadsheets because if I don’t stay organized, I can easily miss something. I have spreadsheets for sponsorship, class rolls, uniform distributions, textbook distributions, backpack distributions, payroll, goat program, university students, and the Haiti Operations Account (HOA).

On about the 15th of each month, I start preparing for the next month at school by placing food orders for all four schools in the village and requesting the wire from the BGM office. This is due on the 20th of each month. Next, I start preparing payroll. We must have payroll configured and complete for about 130 employees by the 24th. Each month there are changes because we are constantly paying for things like books, supplies, uniforms, seminars, building projects, printing orders, goats, food distributions, etc. I also add in any changes in employees and record their names and account numbers and salary. This happens more often in Haiti, especially right now, because families evacuate and sometimes an employee leaves the country. The spreadsheet must balance out before we can wire it. Once it is wired to Vladimir, he transfers funds to Didier (our administrator in Haiti) and Moliere (our school superintendent). Then all three have groups of people in Haiti that they transfer funds to until all employees are paid and all special projects are funded. After payroll is finalized, I transfer funds to the three wifi hotspots that our university students use for school and then Didier and I start going over the HOA records to make sure we have all the receipts we need to turn in and the online spreadsheet balances and we determine if we need to send in more funds for that account. I try to have all of this done before the first of the next month so that we start fresh and I can return to my duties managing the sponsorship program and other projects. It is an ever-constant cycle that doesn’t really slow down until around July once school is out, but it is usually at that time when I am trying to catch up on things that I have had to set aside until I have a little more time. This includes things like sending photos of delivered goats to donors, sending photos of sponsor children receiving backpacks, posting these to the web pages of each child, and handling special projects such as VBS, well repairs, painting classrooms, building new classrooms, building houses, ordering Bibles and hymnals for the church, etc. It is sometimes overwhelming but ALWAYS exciting and fulfilling to be able to continue to be used by God to continue all of these things.

Going back to the SPHERES, you might be interested in knowing specifically some of the ways we have been continuing the mission God called us to. Here is a list of a few things that have happened this past year:

Spiritual – Our church in Galette Chambon was finally able to open back up and Pastor Eliacin is ministering and discipling members who have stayed in the village and new families who have moved in. We purchased two cases of new Bibles and two cases of new hymnals for the church and they are slowly rebuilding membership after having to be closed for over six months. We also continue to teach Bible classes in both BGM elementary schools. Every child, from first grade through sixth grade hears the Gospel daily and is discipled to learn the Word of God and apply it to their lives. We also have an employee who conducts devotionals and Bible studies with our university students each week.

Physical – We have not yet been able to re-open the clinic yet because of continued gang presence, however, we do have a plan for helping members of the community that need special medical care at a hospital in the back of the village and we have done so with at least 20 people over the last 8 months. We also arranged for Dr. Rose to come do check-ups with our 15 university students and she helped three of them seek specialized medical care in Port au Prince for medical needs they had. We also hired a new first aid worker for the schools. This year, she will work between all four of our schools, giving attention to any medical and first aid needs with our students.

H20 – We repaired the hand pump well near Hope Center and we are working with a local village organization to repair other wells in the village. We also pay for water tanks to be filled at the schools each week so that water will be available for cooking and washing hands and cleaning each day.

Education – In Galette Chambon, we continue to run a pre-school, two elementary schools, a high school, and a professional school. We also have 15 university students who graduated from our high school going to a Christian university in Port au Prince. All are receiving the very best education available by highly qualified teachers. Our students regularly score very high on their national exams, and they are fed a hot meal daily in school.

Roofs – We continue to build houses when we can in the village for families in need. That has slowed down a bit over the last year, but it has not stopped. We are also currently building an additional classroom at our Maranatha school. The building program will pick back up as we are able to safely get supplies and build.

Economic Development – The three main businesses that we helped Haitians build continue to function in spite of civil unrest. The “New Style Tailor Shop” continues to make all of our school uniforms even though they have had to be very resourceful in doing so. The copy business also continues to function satisfying all of the photocopy needs for our schools and sponsorship program. The goat program also continues to grow as goats are shared with families every, single month, and the herd has grown to a point that they don’t have to go to market anymore to have goats to give. All three of these businesses still need my input and supervision since BGM pays for these things, but the Haitians run the businesses. Our Hope Center Professional School also continues to educate members of the community in a variety of trades in order to prepare them for starting their own businesses in the various trade areas.

Soil – Each year, we purchase beans and distribute them to local farmers for planting throughout the village. This year, we distributed beans to 40 local farmers. We have also ordered seed packs from a US organization that will be given to families throughout the community for planting. We also have two men who continue to farm the terrace garden behind Hope Center. They grow corn, okra, beans, and papayas on this property and they share the produce with families in Hope Center Village.

The challenges have been tremendous over these past five years as we have not been allowed to return to Haiti because of civil unrest. However, God has used this time to show us that HIS WILL continues to be done in the community of Galette Chambon through But God Ministries. God sent us there to build a sustainable community, and through this difficult time, He has shown us how He is doing just that. God still uses me and BGM to work with the leadership that He used us to build and equip in the community, but THEY are the boots on he ground. It is a beautiful partnership, and it blesses my heart to recall how each one came into our lives and how much they have grown.

We’ve come a long way, but the work is far from over. Right now is not the time to abandon them and move on to places that are easier to support. We don’t turn our backs on His call just because we can’t physically GO. Mission work – both short term and long term – is not just about taking trips and Americans doing hands-on work for others. I have learned that mission work is also about ministering when times are hard and dangers restrict our abilities. It is about trusting God to continue to use us in ways that grow the community of Galette Chambon and draw the people of the community to Him. It is about showing these resilient people that God still sees them, provides for them, protects them, and He still has a plan for their lives. He has never dismissed us from the call to be used by Him to carry these things out in Galette Chambon, Haiti. He expects us to stay the course, trust Him in all things, and eagerly join Him in this great work that continues to be done in His name. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” It’s pretty obvious to me at this point that there is still much work to be done, and I am committed to continuing the great work until HE decides otherwise.

I appreciate your continued prayers and support as I continue the work I do in Haiti through BGM. It is not easy to manage it all while at the same time trying to find ways to supplement my BGM income after Tony’s passing. In addition to my art, I took on a small, part-time job as Social Media Director at Rapha Wellness & Primary Care, but that income is very small. It barely covers the electric bill at my house each month, but it is fulfilling and helpful, and I am thankful for the opportunity. I continue to trust God to provide for me and supply my every need. It is sometimes hard not to fret over it, but as I said in the beginning, He is constantly teaching me to trust Him in ALL THINGS, so I TRUST Him to continue to provide as I carry out the responsibilities He called me to in Haiti. I am so grateful to be His servant.

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Tagged as butgod, butgodministries, childsponsorship, childsponsorshiphaitit, childsponsorshiphaitit, econonomicdevelopment, foodinsecurity, galettechambon, Haiti, haitieconomicdevelopment, haitieducation, haitiprofessionalschool, missions, missionwork, news, sponsorship, thirdworld, thirdworldnews

January 3, 2024 · 6:23 pm

Continued Prayers for Haiti

Hello Everyone! Happy New Year!
I wanted to update everyone on what’s going on in Haiti right now. There’s good news and bad news.

The first item of Good News is, we have started construction on a new security wall around our Maranatha school in Galette Chambon. In the past, we have not really needed a security wall at the school because the village has always been very safe. However, with the gang still having a heavy presence in the village, we feel like our children will feel safer at school if it is enclosed with a wall. Thanks to our friends at Great Bridge Baptist Church in Virginia, we have been able to start construction on the wall this week!! We are so thankful that people still recognize the need to support our friends in Galette Chambon during this time of difficulty. Even though we are not able to be there physically, we can still show the people that God has not forgotten them and neither has BGM. We continue to do all we can do to encourage and support them any way we can.

Another exciting thing that has happened is that we were able to host a graduation ceremony for our BGM Professional School! We had 45 graduates in the fields of Costmetology, Plumbing, Electricity, Tile Work, and Technology. It is amazing that in spite of the difficulties and dangers in the village, our schools have been able to continue without hindrance and people have been able to continue to improve their lives through education. What a blessing!!

Also, throughout 2023, we were able to conduct food distributions about every 2-3 months. There are several factors that prohibit families from being able to get food for their families. Because of the gang presence, people have not been able to safely go back and forth to work or to the market. Many of the local markets have closed completely and those that do open occasionally have had to raise their prices significantly. Because of this, most families in our village have been going hungry if we are not able to do food distributions. Our most recent distribution happened in December. We were able to give each family a large bag of rice as well as oil and beans so that they were able to have food for their families for Christmas. Your continued donations to BGM for food insecurity are what fund these distributions. Thank you for your continued support.

Another exciting thing that happened recently was that we were able to send funds for all of the BGM elementary and preschool students to have Christmas parties!! In the midst of so much danger and uncertainty, being able to celebrate Christmas with decorations and gifts was such a blessing! Each child received a Santa hat, reindeer horns, and a toy and lots of special food! The photos they shared were so much fun! It’s such a blessing to see festive photos at a time when so much darkness is around them every day. God is so good!

Lastly, another good thing that has been happening is that a group of men and women from the village have been coming together to work each week to clean up Hope Center. After the gang attacked the Hope Center back in March, they left lots of paper and supplies and trash all over the floors and grounds of the clinic and breezeway. It was so depressing to see Hope Center in such shambles and no one was brave enough to go in there long enough to get it all cleaned up. The rains fell and saturated it all, and it was just an absolute mess! Recently, this group came together and decided that it was time to clean everything up. They brought brooms and shovels and machetes and trash bags and spent day after day working to clean it all up. They tried to salvage as many old paper charts as they could and anything else that seemed important. They took all the trash to the burn pile and burned it. Each day, a lady would cook for them down at the preschool and they would eat together in the breezeway. It was so good to see pictures of people eating together in the breezeway again. That is such a special place that holds so many special memories for so many of us.

Now for the bad news….. Two weeks ago, the 400 Mawozo attacked the city of Ganthier. This is the main city that Galette Chambon is a part of. Up until now, the people have been able to form citizen militia groups that have held the gang off from attacking the city. However, one day around the last week of December, two gang members entered the city and attempted to steal a truck. The police and citizen militia ganged up on them and killed the gang members before they could get out of the city with the truck. After that, the gang vowed to get revenge and all out war ensued in the city. Many of the people that had fled Galette Chambon and moved to Ganthier now found themselves having to flee for their lives again. People are displaced everywhere. The gang had said that they were going to attack again in January, but so far it has remained quiet. Everyone just sits and waits in fear.

In the meantime, you can not only pray, but also continue to financially support our BGM efforts in any way that you can. We are always in need of child sponsors, and we are constantly building the benevolence ministry to provide food and medical care where needed. Every donation that is sent to BGM for Haiti is used quickly to minister to those in great need. We work hard every day to coordinate and organize opportunities for ministry in any way that we can. It is thrilling to be able to share with you so much good news of amazing things happening in our village in spite of the bad. Every single positive that I can share is nothing short of a miracle. The needs are great, BUT GOD is always moving to show His great love for the people of Haiti. Thank you for partnering with us to be a blessing to these beautiful friends in their time of need.

Lastly, please be in prayer for the Dilux family. One of our high school students, Merlie Dilux, was murdered by the gang last week. She lived in one of the houses on the hill behind Hope Center and last year she had a baby that is now about 9 months old. Her body was found in the village decapitated and stabbed hundreds of times with a machete. The gang claimed responsibility for it and circulated a video of the actual murder happening. It is just horrific. They also recently kidnapped a family of five from the area and killed the two youngest children because they were crying so much. They circulated a video of that horrific act as well. The acts of these gangs are just total EVIL. The enemy uses them to control the people with fear. Please continue to pray that God will rid Haiti of these malicious gangs for good so that they can return to lives of peace again. The horrors just seem to be never ending and the people are just so very tired. They live in the midst of a nightmare right now. Only God can stop this kind of evil. Please continue to pray….

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Tagged as cholera, gang-violence, gangs, Haiti, missions

September 14, 2015 · 4:28 am

Jores – His Journey from Translator to Doctor

One of the most rewarding things we get to witness through our ministry here in Haiti is how so many lives are completely changed because of God’s hand moving through But God Ministries. We watch children grow up being better educated because so many are sponsored in school. We watch ideas turn into businesses that create income for families that once struggled to find one meal a day. We see patients with life-threatening illnesses get the health care they need because once identified, we are able to get them to the hospital or specialist that knows how to help them. We’ve seen thousands in our clinic and almost 200 babies have been brought into the world here. Mothers want to come here to have their babies because they seek the kind of care that Jesus would give, and they know that they will be loved and cared for through His love at Hope Center. We see hundreds of people weekly who finally have hope for their future as God leads us to seek ways to change people’s lives. People tell me all the time that the reason they support But God Ministries is because when they give to BGM, they know that we are using their donation in the way that we say we will use it and they see proof of the lives changed through the pictures we post of what’s going on here. Tony and I love that too. That’s why we are here as missionaries for BGM. We don’t ever want to be a part of an organization that doesn’t do exactly what they say they will do. God is using this organization to sustain a community not just today, but in the future, as we watch His hand move in amazing ways. And he doesn’t just use us, but COUNTLESS others who have come here, built relationships here, sent contributions to help people here, and even contributed to various drives in the states and then sent those goods over knowing that those goods will make it to the hands of the people who need them. It’s a HUGE, amazing miracle, and It’s fantastic to watch it unfold!

This is Jores in one of his classrooms.

One person in our village who’s life changed dramatically two years ago was Jores Merilus. I have written about him before. He started out as a translator at Hope Center with his good friend Moliere. Moliere is now the principal of our But God Ministries Secondary School here in the village and is doing a tremendous job. Jores is now in medical school in Port au Prince studying to become a physician with hopes of returning to his home village to help the people he has known and loved all his life. If you want to read my previous post about his story, click here – Jores’s Story

Jores in front of one of the buildings in the middle of the campus

In a nutshell, two years ago a team recognized Jores’s potential in medicine and told him that if he wanted to go to medical school, they would help him. They not only paid for his first year of school, but they helped him get an apartment near the school so he could be close and have a good place to study. Before then he was sleeping in a closet in a warehouse so he could have light at night to study. He had to spend a year taking preparatory classes because it had been so long since he had gone to school, but this past school year, he completed his first year of medical school. He has worked very hard in school and has done a tremendous job! We are so proud of him. He told me a few weeks ago that he has applied for an opportunity to go to Canada next summer to study for a few weeks and he is very hopeful that he will be selected. They only select two from each class to go. I’m praying that God will bless him with that opportunity.

Jores has a gentle spirit and a heart for the mission God has for him. He does not want to be a doctor just to have a job. He wants to be a doctor because that is his mission. He sees it as a ministry, and he looks forward to ministering to his village.

Recently, Jores invited me to go see his school and apartment so I could show people what it all looks like. He toured me around the school and then took me to his apartment to see it. The school is very nice!

: This is the sign at the entrance of the University

: Entrance to the university

: Walkway from the parking lot to the part of campus where buildings are.

: University parking lot. Once we parked, Jores went and got us some visitor’s passes.

: This is the building that houses a museum and many of the classrooms for the Fine Arts Department of the University.

: One of the many big classrooms at the university.

: This is the outside of a new building being built at the school. It will have classrooms as well as apartments for teachers to stay in who are teaching at the university.

: Another view of the new building. It’s really impressive!

: Wooden floors and hand made wooden doors are all through this building. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s exciting to know it is now buzzing with students now!

: The woodwork inside this new building is so impressive! There is an atrium in the middle that goes up about six floors.

: This is the walkway going from one building to the next. The walkway is suspended in the air. Really cool!

: There is even a university book store. It wasn’t open so I took a picture from the window.

: Walking along the top floor of the new building.

: This is a memorial museum built to honor the lives of the staff and students who lost their lives when the earthquake destroyed the campus.

: The university even has tennis courts!

: University basketball court

: The university emblem in the middle of the basketball court

: One of the science labs. We couldn’t see much of the science building because most of it was closed for construction and rennovation.

: More buildings with classrooms on campus

: This is one of the administrative buildings, The Ralph Auguste building.

: The Ralph Auguste building houses many of the administrative offices as well as a few classrooms.

: These spiraling staircases take students from one level to the next in one of the buildings on campus. Very fresh and clean!

: Large classroom on campus

: Outdoor hallway of classrooms.

: More classrooms.

The apartment is….humble but functional. He is so grateful that someone was thoughtful enough to be concerned about his living situation and helped him find this apartment. He feels so blessed to be able to go to school and have a place to stay not far from the school. He can actually walk to the school from this apartment. It may not be much, but it sure beats a closet in a warehouse!

: Jores’s apartment living room area. It doesn’t have much, but it has what he needs.

: Another view of Jores’s apartment living room area.

: Jores’s bedroom has a twin bed and a sack of charcoal that he uses to cook with

: There is a small refrigerator in the living area of Jores’s apartment. He can keep things in there sometimes, but the electricity isn’t constant so food spoils in there if it stays more than a few hours.

: This is the hallway that leads to Jores’s apartment.

: This is Jores’s kitchen. He has a small “stove” that cooks with charcoal and one pot. He cooks beans and rice in it regularly.

: This is the door way that goes into the shower that is outside his apartment. He shares the shower and bathroom with other tenants.

: This is the doorway going into the outdoor bathroom at his apartment. He and other tenants share an outdoor bathroom and shower.

I decided to write about Jores today because circumstances with his original sponsors have changed somewhat and they are not able to help him as they did the first year. Because of this, Jores had to ask his mother if she could get a loan to help him pay for last semester of school. She did get a loan from a friend, but it has put a huge strain on her and her family to try to pay it back. She makes and sells charcoal for a living and she barely sells enough to pay for food. She often goes without eating so that she can make a payment on the loan. Jores spent the summer helping her, but now it is time for him to go back to school.

Jores in front of one of the buildings in the middle of the campus

Jores came by the house today and spent several hours just talking and visiting. We talked about faith and how the plan for him to go to med school was not his plan, not our plan, not the past donors’ plan; it was (and IS) God’s plan. He smiled when I told him that when God put him in his mom’s belly, He did so knowing about such a time as this. Now he must have faith that when God starts a good work, He will carry it through. Like Jores, Tony and I have walked the road of faith so many times before, and we know that when God has a plan, He provides. We are walking that road even now – just like Jores! So we prayed together and asked God not only to continue to provide a way by moving people to help, but to also increase our faith in His plan and give us peace. It was a good afternoon that ended with a cooling rain, which we decided was God’s blessing on our time together. We are so blessed to know Jores as we do.

I am telling Jores’s story today because I know that there are people who know and love him and want to help him. There have already been a few people to express interest in helping him, so I know he will be fine. I just wanted to tell his story so that others would know as well in case they want to help him too. If you feel led to help this bright, young man realize his dream of becoming a doctor to help his village, please email me at tnmwest@gmail.com or send me a Facebook inbox message. I can tell you how you can do that.

I always hesitate to post requests for help like this, but then people are ALWAYS asking me how they can help. They can’t know if I don’t put it out there. I do realize that there are MANY needs and it seems someone always needs help, but I also don’t believe that everyone is called to give to every situation. Some may feel led to give to one call and then others feel led to give to another. God wants to use us all to help in some way though. I pray that if God wants to use you to help Jores, you will hear His call and be blessed in doing so. Thank you for your prayers and support. We are humbled and blessed to be a part of this amazing ministry that helps so many people. God bless!!

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Tagged as BGM, but god ministries, But God Ministries; Hope Center;, But God Ministries; Hope Center; Jesus; Tony West; Mickie West; Stan Buckley; twins; God Provides; Uncond, Haiti, Jores Merilus

August 24, 2015 · 11:03 pm

BGM – Galette Chambon – Child Sponsorship is LAUNCHED! Hallelujah!!

It’s finally ready! What an exciting answer to prayer! I have been praying for God to make a way for the children in our village to not only go to school but be able to have a daily meal provided for them for at least two years, and it’s finally happening! Child Sponsorships for the children of Galette Chambon have begun, and the response has already been awesome!

Go to the But God Ministries home page and click How to Get Involved

It started two years ago when I applied for Feed My Starving Children to admit us into a feeding program through a local distributor. We were denied because we were trying to feed too many children at once, and it would not be sustainable. My heart was broken, but then I also understood. I began praying for God to provide another way. All I wanted was to see children go to school and for them to be fed. In my prayer, I said, “Lord, I know you want us to care for these children and feed them as well. Your Word is FULL of commands to care for the children and the poor, and we have a village full of hungry children. Show us how, and we will run with it.” ….and He did! The folks up in Thoman had already been running a successful child sponsorship program and over 400 children in that village were getting a daily meal at school. Although we had already been sending kids to school in our village, the money we had to send them wasn’t nearly enough to feed all of them. Although they are so thankful that we help them go to school, we knew that empty stomachs meant zero learning. So we began looking into starting the same program in Galette Chambon.

Click on the link to sponsor a child in Galette Chambon

We are starting with 25 children. Twelve are from Pastor Johel’s school and 13 are from Professor Salomon’s school. These are the two schools we have been sponsoring for three years now. As children are sponsored, we will add more to the program. For every sponsorship, you send one child to school, paying for his/her tuition, uniform, books, exams, etc., which is great! However, once we get 50 children sponsored, it gets even better! Once we get 50 sponsored, every sponsorship will feed FOUR children and we can begin buying the rice, beans, oil, etc. to start preparing meals for ALL of the kids to have EVERY day after school. The cost is $37 per month. You are given a choice of using SimpleGive through the BGM website or bank draft. If you use SimpleGive, that host company charges a processing fee which makes it $38.50. Bank draft, I believe, is a flat $37 per month.

Click on the link for each child to read a bit more about him or her. There is a link on each page that you can click to take you to the sponsorship form. The link says “Click here to sponsor me!”

Throughout this post, I have inserted pictures. These pictures show you how to get to the sponsorship page and how to sponsor a child. Please take some time to go to the But God Ministries page and click the links to meet our children. Or better yet, here’s a link directly to the page: BUT GOD MINISTRIES GC-SPONSORSHIP

As you look at their faces, ask God if He would make a way for you to help one of these go to school.

When God shared His vision with Tony four years ago – the same vision He had given Stan Buckley and others at FBC Jackson – He said to Tony, “What good will it do the people of Haiti for you to take one child out of the country when I want to use you to change a generation?” THESE are the faces of that generation!! These are the children God wants to use to bring revival to a land that has lived in hunger for far too long. The vision has been happening in so many ways over the last three years, but THIS step is one that excites me more than others because this is a huge step towards changing a generation. Thank you for sharing in my excitement over this! Thank you for your prayers for our ministry here! And thank you for each and every way you support what God is doing through But God Ministries.

God Bless You!!

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Tagged as Answered Prayer, BGM, but god ministries, But God Ministries; Hope Center;, But God Ministries; Hope Center; Jesus; Tony West; Mickie West; Stan Buckley; twins; God Provides; Uncond, But God Ministries; Hope Center; Jesus; Tony West; Mickie West; Stan Buckley; twins; God Provides; Unconditional LOVE, But God Ministries; missions; Tony West; West Family; Stan Buckley; Gallet Chambon; Hope Center; Ganthier, Child Sponsorship, FBC Jackson, feeding program, Galette Chambon, Ganthier, Haiti, Thoman

August 22, 2015 · 8:51 pm

Child Sponsorships Coming Soon to Galette Chambon!!…EXCITED!

I am so excited to announce that possibly next week, people will have an opportunity to go to the BGM website and sponsor children from our village! Each sponsorship will not only pay all expenses for the child’s school, but once we reach 50 sponsorships in each of the two schools we support, we will be able to start a feeding program that will feed ALL of the kids in the school. In other words, one sponsorship pays one child’s school, but it FEEDS FOUR! EVERY DAY! THIS IS HUGE!!

For those of you who don’t know, little rural villages like ours are full of bright children willing to learn, but their families struggle to provide food for them much less tuition for school. The average income in our little village is about $400 per year. Their annual tuition is only $25 per year, but they also have to purchase uniforms, books, school supplies, and they pay separately for all exams. It comes up to about a fourth of their annual income! The schools really need more than this to be able to pay their teachers and provide adequate classroom space for the children, but they also have to offer education at a price that more people in the village can afford or no one would go to school! Many of the schools just allow some kids to go to school without paying and their teachers go without being paid often as well. It’s just a very difficult situation.

All of the children gathered outside the school for the pledge and national anthem before school.

BUT GOD….is making a way to change all of that! We have been doing the child sponsorship program up in Thoman now for a couple of years, and it is working out very well. They now have enough kids being sponsored that they are able to prepare a meal of rice and beans every day and feed every child in the school a good meal before they leave. For most of these kids, this is the only meal they will get all day! However, with a daily meal being served, these kids will not go hungry and they will be able to learn better! Praise the Lord!!

Students waiting for school to start

James 2:14-18 says, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works.” THIS is where we experience REAL faith. It is when we say with our mouths that we believe in the power of a living God and then we MOVE in faith to help care for someone in need. If God calls you to do it, He will also make a way for you to be able to do it. You will not only witness the miracle of provision every month, but you will also be able to see it taking place in a child’s life in our village as we post pictures of them throughout the year. You can even come visit them or send pictures or packages to them! It’s more than just a sponsorship program; it’s a relationship of ministry with a child in need. Please pray about it!

I am going to post a slide show below previewing all of the kids we will post soon. I will also post a link here to the BGM page so you can check periodically for the sponsorships to go live. We already have a link to Sponsorships in Thoman with pictures of the kids in the program there. However, soon you will be able to sponsor kids in our village of Galette Chambon – many of them you probably even know if you have visited Hope Center! After all 25 of these are sponsored, we will add 25 more. We are trusting that very soon, all 100 kids will be sponsored and we will be ready to start the feeding program!

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May 5, 2015 · 4:21 pm

Bondye Konnen

I am a bit delayed in posting the following post. I prepared it right after the Freedom Christian Fellowship team left, but there were a couple of things I had to add in before posting. Life never seems to slow down, however, around Hope Center, so days clicked by and they turned to weeks. So now that i have a few minutes to reflect and edit my post, I’m finally posting my recollections of the week Freedom Christian Fellowship came, and it makes me miss them all over again. We love you guys!!

The Freedom Christian Fellowship team with some of our Hope Center Family: Brian, Jane, Tom, Bicly, Brenda, Johnny, Jonathan, Phillip, Matthew, Dean, Macey, Junior, Fedna, Rachel, and Anel.

It is never easy to say goodbye to our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, after a full week of more activities than I can count, the team from Freedom Christian Fellowship loaded the bus to head back home, leaving tear stains on my face as I hugged each one and watched them climb the steps of the bus. Telling them goodbye is like letting go of something that is precious to you, because you know you have no choice. All you can do is hold onto the memories and know that your prayers for one another keep you close until next time. Sounds like family right? Well they are indeed family to us. We always cherish their time here and this week was no different.

The pastors that attended the pastors’ conference showing off their certificates at the end of the conference.

Pastors Dean Smith, Brad Smith, and Brian Miller and their team hold a very special place in our hearts and we know Haiti holds a very special place in theirs. Pastor Dean Smith from Freedom Christian Fellowship in Gautier, MS, has been leading pastor’s conferences here in our area for three years now. When he comes, he always brings a team of amazing people with him who show the love of Jesus in many, many ways. The pastors here know he loves them not only because he tells them so, but because he comes back. Tony and I know he genuinely loves us too. He and his brother Brad and their dear friend Brian Miller and ALL of their team members will always hold a dear place in our hearts.

Alex & Rachel lead the Easter Week VBS with the orphanage kids and Rachel & Macey hang out with the kids.

It was a crazy, busy week. Besides the pastor’s conference, the team was also busy with other things happening all over Hope Center. Dean and Brian brought their daughters, Rachel and Macy along this time, and their favorite activity was playing with the kids at the orphanage. Because it was the week before Easter, and the kids were out of school, our intern Rachel had daily activities planned for them leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Every day Alex would lead them in a Bible story, they would sing songs, and they would make a craft that held some sort of significance to the Easter story. While this was going on, Brenda and Jane were leading a Motherhood Seminar.

Jane & Barbara talk with the first mother to arrive at the motherhood seminar. Translator JuJu was a tremendous help at the seminar.

I have been planning and looking forward to starting these Motherhood Seminars for quite some time. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to periodically have teams come and spend a week teaching expectant mothers about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care. I mentioned the idea in an email to Brenda before they came, and as Dean said, she took the idea on with a vengeance. She put together an amazing week of loving on these mothers, stressing to them that they were chosen by God to be the mother of this child, and that He had equipped each one of them to be able to care for her baby. There were only five mothers who participated in the seminar this week, but I am sure that as teams come and continue the teaching, more and more will come and learn about how beautiful it is to be a mother. Thank you Brenda and Jane for taking this on! You have started something wonderful!

Tom & Jonathan take care of Esther in the clinic.

Throughout the week, two of the team members helped in the clinic. Tom and Jonathan were amazing help in the clinic. Unfortunately Tony came down with some sort of virus, so it was great to have someone so knowledgeable and equipped to stand in for him in the clinic. Tom and Jonathan took care of many medical needs in the clinic and Tony didn’t have a thing to worry about. He certainly wanted to be able to be in there working with them, but it was a relief knowing that God had provided capable hands during this time. We are so grateful for the love they showed to the people who entered the doors of our clinic this week.

Phillip & Matthew putting up fans in the breezeway.

It seems like with almost every team that comes, God provides a handy man in the group because He knows that we have so many needs here that just require the attention of someone who knows how to fix it. This week was no different. We have had fans sitting in the depot for several weeks. Al Subblefield from Pensacola gave them to us to put up in the breezeway to help keep the air moving and provide softer lighting at night. Among many other “fix-it things” that needed to get done, Phillip and Matthew jumped right on the fan installation and did a wonderful job. Throughout the week, they helped with other things as well. They helped Charles and Junior get the post holes dug for the garden fence; they worked on the generator; they helped with VBS for the village kids two days, and one night they even held a youth praise and worship event for teenagers in the village. They were some versatile and busy guys all week! We are grateful for their talents and servant’s heart.

Kelly, Leyna, and Macey with Marie Francis and Yvnante making plates for the pastors’ conference.

I certainly can’t talk about this week without also mentioning two very special people we had with us who were not a part of the FCF team, but they were definitely a VITAL part of our Hope Center team this week. We have had two short-term interns here with us in the last few weeks, and as always, they have been a HUGE help and made an amazing contribution to the ministry of Hope Center. Kelly Dukes and Leyna Hendley have been here before at different times, but it was definitely God’s plan for them to be here at the same time during this week. Again, God provided who we needed when we needed them, and Leyna and Kelly were right where God wanted them to be….Hope Center.

Kelly practicing her head-balancing skills while taking plates to the pastors’ conference

Kelly’s expertise as a paralegal was extremely valuable this week in helping Tony with paperwork in the clinic. Tony has been working hard to get our clinic working under Haiti Ministry of Health standards, and with that comes a LOT of record keeping. Kelly took on the task of entering patient records into the computer and assigning dossier numbers to all of them. She spent HOURS on the papers, and she helped Tony find his way out of a mountain of paper work. Not only did she help with this, but she also took on registration in the pastor’s conference, made the coffee each day for the team and pastor’s conference, helped us prepare lunch plates for all the pastors, as well as many, many other odds and end things that she gladly took on to help out. It’s always good to have Kelly around, and we are so thankful to have had these few weeks with her at Hope Center.

Leyna visiting with Bicly’s family in the village.

Leyna is one of those people who has a contagious, genuine love for Jesus, and every single person she comes in contact with can see it and feel it in her smile and her touch. I truly believe that she sees every moment she has interacting with people as an opportunity to show the love of Jesus and allow that person to introduce her to a new experience in life. Leyna spent her time here at Hope Center doing many things. She helped Hannah with the girls and homeschooling; she helped in the pharmacy; she helped Vierge and Marie Therese in the kitchen; she helped prepare the lunch plates for the pastor’s conference; and she absolutely LOVED it when she had opportunities to go into the village and connect with people. Leyna and I had three very special occasions when we were able to visit and love on people together. One was when we went to Bicly’s house because his mother had invited us to come eat pigeon! Leyna has an adventurous streak in her, and she loves to experience other cultures. Rachel and I went with her to Bicly’s and we all had a delicious meal of pigeon and bread and sauce sitting at Bicly’s dinner table and enjoying great company. Another special time was when we went back to Bicly’s and shared in worship with his family and neighbors at a revival service they were having. We prayed and sang with them and worshipped our Father together, and I am so thankful for this time she and I shared with these precious people. Lastly, Leyna and I had an opportunity to minister to a young woman on the way home from Bicly’s house, and I think this was probably a highlight in her time here at Hope Center. When we were walking back to Hope Center from Bicly’s house, we came upon a young woman walking on the main road. We began to initiate conversation with her and we found out that she had been to the clinic and needed to go get her husband and go to the hospital in Croix des Bouquets. She didn’t feel well and she had no money to pay for food or transportation to Croix des Bouquets, so she had a very long walk ahead of her. When Leyna and I arrived back at Hope Center, we grabbed up the keys to the truck and a got a little money from Tony and headed out looking for her on the road. We found her, pulled over the truck, and asked her if she wanted a ride. She climbed into the truck and immediately fell apart in tears. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed. I could tell that she had been praying for God to help her, and in minutes, He answered her prayer by sending us to give her a ride. As we rode, we talked about the love of Jesus and how God knows our needs. Along the way, Leyna and I realized we had rushed out of Hope Center without our passports and I didn’t even have my purse or driver’s license. We immediately prayed for protection and favor and trusted God to do just that as we went on our way to Croix des Bouquet. By the time we arrived at the house where her husband was working, she had a totally different countenance. She was smiling, happy, and grateful. Leyna and I had no doubt that God had used us to remind this lady of His love for her and that He provides for our needs.

Rachel playing with the kids at the orphanage

To recount every exciting event that happened throughout the week would take forever, so I will spare you the reading. I do, however, want to thank each of you who pray for us and for those who come serve here with us. There is no telling how many lives are changed every single week around here as people share the love of Jesus with people who depend completely on God’s provision for their every single need. Oh that we could all come to that place when we realize that HE is Lord and Bondye Konnen!! (God knows).

The team at dinner sharing some love for Hannah on her birthday. This cookie is for you!! Happy Birthday Hannah!

We are thankful for another amazing week with the Freedom Christian Fellowship team and Leyna and Kelly. We look forward to the day you all return and share your love for Jesus with the people of our village.

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March 19, 2015 · 5:08 pm

Living Stones and Kingdom Work

Some weeks here at Hope Center are quiet. As I sit here writing on my blog, I hear a rooster call in the distance; the guineas in the yard are calling out to let us know that Jillian has arrived; a baby is crying in his mother’s lap while they wait to see the doctor; and Madame Marta is greeting people in the yard as she looks around for trash to pick up. “Ti cafe ak pen souple,” she asks as I step out onto my front door step to say hello. She’s asking for a little coffee and bread for breakfast before she commences with her work. At 85 years old, she comes to Hope Center every day with a bag in her hands, working to keep the place nice and clean to earn chicken feed for her chickens. She’s like the Hope Center Clinic cheerleader in that she walks around among the waiting patients in the morning, greeting them with a kiss on the cheek and asking them how they are doing. Her voice dances with the mountain fresh air and touches my heart. I glance out my front door and see the flower petals waving in the breeze and the empty chair swing spinning in a slow circle. It’s a quiet week here.

Sitting on the love seat in my house, looking out my front door, listening to the sounds of Hope Center

Other weeks are not so quiet. Last week, Hope Center was one of those not-so-quiet weeks. That’s not a bad thing at all. It’s actually a very good thing. When teams are here, every day begins with a buzz of anticipation as team members prepare for the tasks of ministry they have planned to do. As the day progresses, the team members gather back together for lunch and then dinner and share with one another about the things God did through them over the course of the day. At the end of the week, we are amazed at how God multiplied their efforts to do many great works that will carry on many months and years to come. It’s often too much to recount. This is the case with the Crystal Springs/MSU team. The group from New Zion Baptist Church, some students from Mississippi State University, and our Jacob and his girlfriend Madison all joined together for an amazing Spring Break of ministry at Hope Center in Haiti.

The Crystal Springs team in front of our church at sunset

Their plans for the week included building benches for the church, hosting VBS, building a house for Johnny’s family, helping with clinic, and hosting a ladies Bible study. With God’s help and provision, they accomplished all of these things and more.

Jess tries out one of the benches during lunch break.

Lots of work going on!!

Alyssa and Patricia help with benches

Carl and James work on benches for the church.

Charles, Randy, & James working on benches

The benches look beautiful in the church.

On day one, the buzz of the saw in the yard cranked up early as half the team immediately got to work on making benches. Charles had created a design that is very sturdy and will allow for a hymnal tray to be added to the back of each bench later. These benches will allow us to pack in so many more people in our church as we grow in numbers every week.

Johnny and team the guys from MSU passing block to be used on the walls of his house.

Johnny’s siblings in front of his house.

Team WORK!!

The whole team in front of Johnny’s new house with his family.

Adam, Greg, and Rawls working hard on Johnny’s house

Johnny and his family in front of his new house

Johnny’s mama helped the team work every day. She wasn’t too happy about taking a picture as dirty as she was, but she was very gracious.

Johnny helped build his house and he was so proud to be working. He’s a hard worker!

Also on the first day, another group of team members loaded up and went into the village to begin work on building Johnny’s family a house. The house they have been living in had three rooms, but only one of the three rooms had a roof, and it was falling in. There was only one working door on the house, and inside was dark and dusty from the mud walls and heat. Their new house has two rooms with a vented roof for air flow and windows to allow for light to come in during the day. It has a locking front door and a concrete floor instead of dirt. It may not seem like much from American standards. but to this family that has endured many a muddy night as the rain poured through their tattered tin roof, it is a blessing from God that they have prayed for for a long time.

Alex demonstrates how cool it looks to drink from the water bottle with his shades on. ha!

Rivens and Marie Claire enjoying a fresh drink of water.

VBS in the church after all of the kids got their water bottles.

Sandi and Elizer show off their water bottles & sunglasses at the well.

Walking to the well from the church

Jacob & Madison with baby Jacob and Ava during Bible school

In VBS, the team loved on children throughout the village each afternoon, teaching them about the joys and benefits of knowing Jesus. They talked about how Jesus is the light and He shines through us when we let his light shine. They gave out little LED flashlights from Community Bank as a useful reminder of the light of Christ. They also gave out water bottles that said “Jezi se vivan” (Jesus is living water). On the last day, they walked the children down to the well that the team members had fixed in their “spare time” and let the kids fill their water bottles up with fresh, clean water. It was LOTS of fun!!

Jenny and Madison wash a child’s feet who came with his mom to Women’s Bible Study

Junior washes Jess’s feet at the end of women’s Bible study

Madison washes Gina’s feet

Jess washing the feet of a man who came with his wife to Women’s Bible Study.

Debbie washing Miliene’s feet at Women’s Bible Study

Alyssa washing feet at Women’s Bible Study. This was huge because she had prayed for God to give her strength to overcome her fears and minister to others in this time of foot washing.

Ladies Bible study was a huge blessing to the women of our village. They love spending time with the American women, discussing issues important to women and letting God minister to their hearts through song and sharing of the Word. On the last day, the leaders of the Bible study washed the ladies’ feet to demonstrate the love of Christ in us as we minister to one another. It was a touching moment. Even Jess got in on the special time as he washed the feet of a man that came to the bible study and then he and Junior washed one another’s feet. Such a precious time!

Katie holding babies outside Hope Center Clinic

Jenny & Dru working pharmacy at Hope Center Clinic

Alyssa and Madison entering patient files into the computer

Pill Counting

Robin, Debbie, & Madison counting pills for pharmacy

Jacob and Madison counting pills

Throughout each day and in between all of the planned activities, many team members helped with clinic by working triage, counting pills, and entering information into the computer from patient files. There is always an abundance of activity that goes on behind the scenes each week at Hope Center, and this team jumped to action whenever a need was seen.

I could talk about and post pics of all of the things this team did to minister to the people of our village last week, but time will not allow because it was MUCH. I will list other things below and post a slide show of all of the pics of the week below. Suffice it to say that we are so very thankful that people are willing to be led by God to come serve in our village at Hope Center, Galette Chambon. We do not take lightly the sacrifice it takes to come here and serve. However, we do know that God blesses people who trust in His provision and say YES when he calls them to come serve. And when people come, they allow God to use them in many amazing ways, and those works carry on for many years to come. It’s called KINGDOM work because as people come serve, they are building the Kingdom of God up in a way that has eternal impact in people’s lives.1 Peter 2:5 says, “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” When teams come here to work, they are like living stones that build up the kingdom of God. Their sacrifice is an offering that is acceptable and blessed by God. Long after a team leaves, the memories of laughter, prayer, worship, and hard work echo through our minds, and through the minds of the people they touch, and we are all blessed.

Other things the team did: (I’m sure I don’t have a complete list here either!)

Fixed the village well that has been broken
Worked on electrical issues within Hope Center
Installed an outlet in the ag missionary house
Worked on the ambulance and bus
Helped with ESL classes and Creole Literacy class
Fixed a door latch on the mission house
Fixed the deep freezer hinge
Changed oil in the skid steer
Visited people in the village
Watered trees in the village
Built a chicken coup
Special VBS at orphanage
Shared in song during worship service at church
Helped deliver a baby at 3:45 a.m.

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Tagged as Adam Buckley, BGM, but god ministries, But God Ministries; Hope Center;, But God Ministries; missions; Tony West; West Family; Stan Buckley; Gallet Chambon; Hope Center; Ganthier, Galette Chambon, Ganthier, Haiti, Haitiwest, jacob west, madison brown, New Zion Baptist Church, tony west

March 4, 2015 · 9:18 pm

Working Together-Getting it Done

Last week at Hope Center, we had another combo team here from South Carolina and Florida. Sometimes team members may be a little apprehensive about joining up with a team of people they don’t know from somewhere else, but inevitably the members end up becoming close friends as they serve alongside one another and our Haitian staff and friends.

SOOOO much happened last week that there’s no way to include it all! The first team arrived on Sunday afternoon. The team was from Lauren, South Carolina. They immediately unloaded the bus and began pulling out all of the goodies they brought for the children in the orphanage for the upcoming birthday party. Charles and Hannah had worked hard with their home church over the winter break to organize and accumulate birthday presents for each child in the orphanage so that over the course of this year we can have birthday celebrations for them. The South Carolina team had agreed to get the gifts to Haiti, and they were extremely excited to be delivering them. The team members had also chipped in by purchasing sheets and towels for the orphanage as well. For a while there was a sea of pink and blue all over the tables as we sorted through the gifts and prepared to take them to Rachel’s apartment at the orphanage.

On day two the Pensacola team began arriving. Because of the winter storm in the states, many flights have become delayed and rerouted, making people miss flights and have to rebook. It took two days for them to all get here. As team members arrived, everyone seemed to just fall into place where their help was needed. Junior, Dr. Seth, and Jimmy set up shop in the dental clinic, Craig, John, and Carroll worked with Makil and Woodnorder in the orphanage building a shaded area, Cindy helped Rachel get unpacked and organized for plans she was making for the orphanage, and Nancy was able to offer some amazing help to Hannah with homeschooling Lilly.

One thing I thought was really cool was that on Monday, we were trying to figure out where everyone would work. Susan and Joe were in the pharmacy, but were a bit overwhelmed by the idea of filling prescriptions all day not knowing much about the medicines we had in there. Suddenly, someone said, “Clark has worked in a pharmacy before, why don’t we go get him to come work in here!” So we sent for Clark, who was helping the other men build a shade area in the courtyard at the orphanage, and asked him to help in pharmacy. Oh my goodness….this was one of the best moves made all week! Clark did an amazing job in the pharmacy. Susan was able to help us enter patient records into our computer system as they came in which was a huge help. Joe, Robin, and Adaire worked with Marc and Estima in triage, and Tony & I floated around fielding questions and helping everyone get what they needed when they needed it.

Once the Pensacola folks arrived, we were able to double our patient intake because we added Dr. Mitch to see patients while Kirsten and Karen helped with pharmacy, lab work, and assisted with other needs in the clinic, and Susan was able to completely focus on entering patient records. Don, Eb, Peter, Seth, Ethan, and Doug immediately got to work on orphanage needs and Craig, John, and Carroll shifted to building an agricultural nursery in the ag yard for seeding plants before transplating them to gardens. Debbie, Natalie, Kim, and Tracey helped in both the clinic as well as the orphanage throughout the week. And at some point during the week, the men built benches to be used in the orphanage as well as in the clinic waiting area. These will be used every single day as people wait to be seen by a doctor, thankful that God has provided healthcare for them as well as a place to sit while they wait.

Pensacola & Laurens men working with Makil on the orphanage shade area

On Wednesday, the medical team packed up and headed back to the back of the village to a small school where they did medical checkups for all of the school children. They saw many, many children and their parents at the clinic. Our dentist, Dr. Seth stayed here at Hope Center and continued seeing dental patients. At one point, Tony and Kirsten had to return to Hope Center with a pregnant mother because they thought she might be in labor due to some belly pains. Once they arrived, they decided to send her on to the hospital. While they were here, a man brought in his mother who had recently had a mastectomy and was severely infected – almost septic. The infection was horrible. Tony drained the site and cleaned her up as much as possible and they sent her on to the hospital too. Tony said that had he not been here to see her and had we had to send her away, she probably would have died over night. God knew she was coming here and used the pregnant mother to get Tony & Kirsten back to Hope Center to get her cleaned up, antibiotics on board, and sent on to the hospital. God is always in control!

Dr. Shubert with two sweet children on mobile clinic

Karen and Clark with school kids at mobile clinic

These two teams worked non-stop all week! They worked seamlessly and enjoyed worship time together each evening in the breezeway. On Tuesday night, we all went down to the church for worship time with the local membership. Tuesday night worship services are always such a wonderful time of ministry and praise. Someone had put a bug in Pastor Mickenson’s ear that Adaire was an amazing pianist, so he invited her to play a couple of songs. They ended the worship set with “How Great Thou Art” and the entire place was rocking with praise! It was a glorious time as both Americans and Haitians worshipped in song together with hands raised and voices loud. I think we all floated out of there that night, fed by the Holy Spirit, and blessed by God our Father.

One of the biggest events of the week was a birthday party for the children at the orphanage. Much planning had gone into the event, and everyone had a great time! Many children here don’t even know when they were born, and they certainly aren’t accustomed to celebrating the day of their birth. We want these kids to look forward to their special day every year and know that they are loved and that God has blessed them and has a great plan for their lives.

Hannah and Adaire and other team members serving up birthday cake!

As we do every week when a team comes, we went on a walk through the village as soon as we could sneak in a couple of hours of free time. We went up on the hill visiting with families and explaining to the team members how God has provided in so many ways for the people here. We stopped by Mdm Marta’s house, and as usual, she invited us all in. She fell in love with Clark, and he asked her if she would go on a date with him. She laughed and said “Wi!” So on Tuesday night after church, we prepared a big meal for them and set up a table out back with flowers and a candle. To Clark’s surprise, Mdm Marta invited a guest to their date!! Mark said he got “swagger jacked” and we all enjoyed watching Marta and her friend enjoy a dinner together. It was a sweet time. Marta was eager, however, to box up her food and take it up to her house to share with the children, so the romantic dinner was cut short. That Marta is something else!!

On the last day of the week before time for the teams to leave, we thought we were going to have a baby! Kirsten had prayed and prayed that she would get to help deliver a baby while here. The first-time mother came in with pretty strong contractions, but she was extremely anxious. After a little while in the clinic, she requested to go outside to deliver. The team made a bed for her outside under the almond tree, and the wait began. We thought a baby was inevitable when the mama’s water broke, but unfortunately contractions pretty much stopped after that. Tony eventually made the decision to let Meresse take them to the hospital. We were all sad that we couldn’t deliver a baby, but we were glad that the mama was going to get the medical attention she needed too. She came back today with her mother and husband and brand new baby girl. Both mom and baby are doing great…and so is daddy – who was quite nervous when they were here. Ha!

Kirsten and Karen with Tony and Alex laboring a mother under the almond tree

As always, it’s hard to say goodbye to a group of people who you have worked & worshipped with all week. It seems like just about the time you have gotten to know everyone, it’s time to put them all back on the bus and send them to the airport. They leave us with many great memories though and friendships that will continue on in the weeks, months, and hopefully years to come. They leave a part of themselves here at Hope Center, and they take with them a heart full of blessings from serving however God led them to serve while here. We are thankful for their time here. Until lot fwa! (next time!)

South Carolina team picture before leaving

The Pensacola team before leaving Hope Center

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Video

Looking Back and Forward at Hope Center

Hello Everyone!

As we prepare to head back to Haiti after a LONG winter break, we are excited about all of the things God has planned for 2015. We already have many teams scheduled to serve at Hope Center over the coming year, and we look forward to meeting and serving with every single one. I prepared a newsletter this week that will be going out in the mail to those on our physical mailing list, but I wanted to add a link to it here too. Just click on the link below, and it will open in PDF format.

Newsletter February 2015

We also created a slide show of some highlights from 2014 at Hope Center. Hope you ENJOY!!

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Here are some people and things we would love for you to join us in praying for:

1. Mdm Anastasia Senatus: She is the elderly mother of one of our security guards. His name is Anel. We have been taking her to Mirebalais Hospital over the last few months trying to get help with a large tumor growing on her forehead. It has eaten through her skull now and is very large. This coming week, she will go to Mirebalais to meet with a neurosurgical team who will begin preparations for removing the tumor. Please pray for God’s protection and healing for Anastasia and guidance for the doctors who will be helping her.

2. A 20 year old young man named Louinel: We met Louinel a few months ago, and he begged us to help him. He is suffering from gynecomastia, and it is painful to him both physically and emotionally. He has met with doctors at Mirebalais and we have him on a 90 day trial run of tamoxifen, but if that medication does not help him, he will be looking at possible surgery.

3. A little boy named Franzil: A few months ago, Dr. Freddy Grant noticed that Franzil had an irregular heart beat and suggested we take him to see a cardiologist. Kathy Warren took him up to Mirebalais a couple of weeks ago, and they determined that he has a hole in his heart. They put him on medication and said they are optimistic he will grow out of it. Please pray that God will close up the hole and give Frantzil a long, healthy life.

4. Pray for us as we begin Creole Literacy classes and English as a Second Language classes in our village of Galette Chambon. We pray that starting the classes will go smoothly and many will come to know Christ and grow in their personal relationship with Him as well through these classes.

5. Construction projects: Please pray for us as we re-open the clinic at Hope Center, begin documenting and reporting patient records to the Ministry of Health, and look at clinic expansion in the near future.

6. Clinic: Please pray for every single person who enters the doors of our clinic that they may not only experience physical healing, but spiritual healing as well as we share the love of Christ with them.

7. Church: Please pray for our church and Pastor Mickenson Gilbrun as he leads and shepherds our congregation to a deeper understanding of the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ.

8. Agriculture: Pray for our community as we explore ways to irrigate gardens and grow our chicken program into a business that will lead our community one step closer to sustainability. Pray that our terrace gardens will prove to be a great education opportunity as well as provide food for our community.

9. Pray that God will lead us as we prepare to begin having monthly Motherhood seminars in our village that will educate new mothers on prenatal care, childbirth, post-partum care and breast feeding.

10. Pray for our orphanage as we prepare to take in seven more children bringing our total to 20. Pray for Ydalia and her staff as they adjust to the increase in children and pray for our new interns as they get settled in and help love and educate the children in the orphanage.

There are many more prayer needs, but these are just the first 10 I could think of tonight. I’ll blog more as the year progresses.

We love you all and are so very thankful that God has blessed us with YOU as our prayer partners in this ministry.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY!!

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January 31, 2015 · 5:42 am

December 1, 2014 · 2:37 am

Every Day is a Day to be Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

I apologize to all of my blog followers because It’s been a while since I have written on my blog. Our internet has been a bit sketchy, and time has been even more sketchy, but I decided today that I would try really hard to get a post out and be better about posting in the future. I post to Facebook all the time because it is easy to do with the internet on my phone, but we discovered that we can use a little Digicel thumb drive to get Internet on the laptop, and today I am trying it out. Hopefully it will work!

As the great Eucalyptus tree reaches towards the heavens, I want to lift my eyes towards my Father in heaven and rejoice in His love daily so that I too may give off a sweet aroma of his love and strength as I grow in Him and through Him.

Today, God reminded me through Philippians 4:4 that in order to live a healthy life, we must learn to rejoice in all things so that we may be full of joy (“Always be full of joy in the Lord, I say it again – rejoice.” Philippians 4:4 NLT). It always amazes me how God sends just the right Word for things I am dealing with at particular times in my life. I don’t really think it’s worry that I deal with. God taught me to release worry to Him a long time ago. I think the biggest hindrance to joy I find that I deal with is gratitude. People who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. I don’t ever want to let daily frustrations wear down my gratitude to a point that I am ungrateful because it is at those times one can forget to be thankful. So first of all, I am thankful that He reminds me to have joy and rejoice in Him daily so that I don’t get bogged down in self pity or focus on the negative. When we focus on negative, it infects every part of our lives. Rick Warren calls it “stewing without doing.” He pointed out in my devotional today that we need to choose to think on the positive and on God’s Word. So today I choose to be grateful and rejoice in ALL things and focus on His Word that tells me to be full of Joy in the Lord.

Thanksgiving in Haiti 2014: We are grateful to God for children who love Him with all their heart, and we are thankful to Him for bringing them to us safely for this amazing Thanksgiving week 2014!

This week has been a very special week for Tony and me, and we are very thankful. It’s not an average week at Hope Center because there hasn’t been a team here, and we have had the blessing of having our children here with us. We have had an opportunity to refresh our minds, recharge our batteries, and enjoy many beautiful sights in Haiti that we normally don’t have the time to visit. It has been an absolute pleasure to enjoy the beauty of this country with our children. All week long we have been reminded of all the many blessings we have to be thankful for.

We did have a small glitch in our plans when the kids arrived at the Birmingham airport at 4 am to find out that Jonathan’s ticket had somehow been canceled. Tony and I worked feverishly to restore his flight, but we were not able to get anything that would get him here on Friday with Jacob and Katelyn. He ended up having to spend the night in the Miami airport and catch the first flight out to arrive early Saturday morning. It was frustrating at first, but we decided that since there was nothing else we could do about it, we would choose to rejoice anyway. Jacob and Katelyn were able to spend some quality brother-sister time, and Jonathan was able to catch up with some friends of ours from Birmingham and even get a few goodies for the orphanage kids while waiting for his flight. We were just thankful we were able to get him a flight at all on such short notice.

With all three kids finally under one roof on Saturday, Thanksgiving week started with an evening of celebration for Tony’s birthday. Jonathan, Katelyn, & Jacob gave him gifts that he has been in much need of, a new water bottle and a new Bible. Both of his have been falling apart. We had a great time on our first night together in Haiti. We have so much to be thankful for!

Tony with the kiddos after celebrating his birthday. They gave him a new Bible, water bottle, and a box of Reese’s cookie mix! Yum!!!

I took a picture of our refrigerator because it’s an unusual sight. Most of the time it’s pretty empty, but with the kids coming, Tony & I filled it up with snacks for the week to make it more homey. There’s just something about opening the refrigerator and finding snacks that makes it feel like home, and there’s just something about seeing one of our youngun’s stand there with the door open looking for what might satisfy that craving they’re having that just feels right. Refrigerator searches, naps on the couch, movies in the dark, and late night card games are some of the many little pleasures we enjoy when the kids are home for a visit. We take it all in, and we are so grateful for these precious ones and their safe travel to Haiti to spend Thanksgiving holidays with us.

An unusual sight in our house. Normally this refrigerator is almost completely empty. However, when the kids come home, we fill it up with lots of goodies!!

Playing Phase 10 with the kiddos. One of our favorite pastimes while in Haiti

Saturday afternoon, we went on a walk through the village to tell everyone hello and let them visit with the kids. People have been asking about them for months now, so we knew they would be very happy to see Jonathan, Katelyn, & Jacob. We had a great time visiting with everyone. I love how everyone greets us with a hug and a kiss and calls our children by name when they see them. This village is home to us now, and I think everyone looks forward to our kids visits as much as we do. I think the one person the most excited to see us was “Manu.” He ran straight to Jacob and jumped in his arms. He absolutely loves Jacob.

Emmanuel was so happy to see Jacob again. Jacob is his favorite buddy and he knows Jacob loves him.

As we went from house to house visiting with people in the village, we came across one house that had a new baby in the family. Jonathan quickly scooped him up and was loving on him when two more mamas came out with babies! Three new babies all in one family!! What fun we had cuddling with those precious babies. Their mamas enjoyed watching us love on them too. Our Haitian neighbors know we love new babies, and we are so thankful they enjoy sharing their sweet babies with us.

We went on a walk through the village and came across a family that had three new babies all under 2 months old. Jonathan scooped up one of them for some sweet baby lovin’

Tony, Jonathan, and Katelyn all loving on the new babies we found while on our walk through the village.

Sunday was an extra special day because we were celebrating Jonathan & Katelyn’s first anniversary. Pastor Mickenson led the congregation in song as they all sang “Happy Anniversary” to them. Jonathan & Katelyn just glowed with gratitude in the love and acceptance of our fellowship of believers. Of course, Jocelyn rotated between their laps and Jacob’s lap all through the service, and we all enjoyed a blessing of song as Jonathan & Katelyn sang praises together during praise and worship time.

Katelyn & Jonathan and Jocelyn at church after the entire congregation sang Happy Birthday to them for their anniversary. Not sure when they sang “Happy Birthday,” but it worked! Ha!

Jacob and Jocelyn at church

Jonathan & Katelyn sang at church Sunday. What a blessing it was to celebrate their first anniversary with them here in Haiti!!

A young man prayed to receive Christ at church Sunday and Tony, Mickenson, and Makil prayed with him after church.

Our family had a great day of worship at our church at Hope Center last Sunday. Pictured are Katelyn, Jonathan, Jacob, Pastor Mickenson, Odlin, Tony, and me. We are so grateful for our church family here at Hope Center.

After church, our family went down to the orphanage to see the children. Jessi & Warren Flynt (from Birmingham) had sent some goodies to give to the children, so it was lots of fun to pull surprises out of a bag and play with the kids. Visiting the orphanage is often times the highlight of our day, and being able to visit with our own children made it even more fun. We played on the playground and in the courtyard until it was almost dark. I watched all of the smiling faces and thanked God for the huge family we now have.

Jonathan & Katelyn playing with all the kids at the orphanage

Jacob hanging out with the kids at the orphanage

Jonathan playing soccer with Stephenson, Dana, & Gillot

Katelyn getting a little lovin’ from all the kids at the orphanage

Katelyn and the girls catching up

As the week went on, the fun seemed to get better and better. Monday was the day we made plans to go on a trip up to the National Pine Forest with Kathy and Terry Warren (our new missionaries at Hope Center, Thoman). I think this trip was probably the highlight of our week. There’s no way to describe it to someone and do it justice. It’s a long, bumpy ride, but the sights and blessings are immeasurable.

Our three precious ones. Jacob, Katelyn, & Jonathan. We could not be more blessed!!

Kathy & Terry Warren. Our new missionaries and friends from Arkansas who are living at Hope Center, Thoman. Tony & I have found such a kindred spirit with these two. Like us, they just love life, loving the Lord, and humbled by the fact that God would call us to minister to the beautiful people of Haiti. SO BLESSED! We are thankful for these two more than words can explain.

Our family visiting Haiti’s National Pine Forest over Thanksgiving 2014.

This precious lady found her Thanksgiving turkey!! Now the search was on to find ours!

The beautiful mountains above the Pine Forest where Miguelson’s family lives. Breathtaking….

The view from the top portion of Miguelson’s father’s land. You can see all the way to the DR and you are even with the clouds. Amazing….

Jonathan & Katelyn in the cabbage patch

Tony helping Grandma with the corn preparation.

Pastor Joel, Terry, & Tony hanging out at Grandpa’s house.

Jacob and Katelyn helping out with the corn cleaning

Everyone joined into the action of cleaning the corn off the cobs

We came across some baby goats at Miguelson’s grandparents’ farm and we had a great time playing with them. Here’s Jacob with a little cutie.

Jonathan and Katelyn loving on some baby goats we found Miguelson’s grandparents’ farm.

Katelyn & Jacob hanging out with Miguelson’s father, Pastor Joel.

Two great men, enjoying a fabulous day of fellowship in the Pine Forest of Haiti. Tony & Pastor Joel Charles

Alex and Jacob on top of the mountain cistern on Pastor Joel’s property. Alex is pointing over to the DR.

Jacob and Jonathan holding the two turkeys we purchased for Thanksgiving dinner.

Tuesday brought with it another adventure. We went from the mountain tops of Haiti to the beautiful sun-kissed seaside of Haiti. We spent one night at Club Indigo Beach Resort with the fam and the McCall’s for a much needed rest. We were excited to have an opportunity to go to the beach, but first things first, we had to stop to buy some new tires for the truck. As you can imagine, driving on these bumpy, rocky roads beats the tires to death, so in no time, they are worn down to nubs and simply must be replace. After one tire was chewed down to nothing on the drive down the mountain from the Pine Forest, we decided it was time to get them replaced before going to the beach. We were thankful to find a tire place that had NEW tires. Once that was done, we packed ourselves back into the the truck (girls with Vladimir inside and boys outside) and off to the beach we went. The trip on the way was an adventure in itself. We stopped along the road and bought a bunch of bread from a vendor so we could make PB&J sandwiches for lunch. The guys in the back decided to help themselves to a snack while enroute. We didn’t take many pictures while at the beach simply because we took a REAL break, but we did get a beautiful sunset and a picture of a boat out on the water. Rest assured, we did have some real quality down time together as a family. We are grateful…

All the guys in the back of the truck munchin’ on bread on the way to the beach.

After spending one night, we left the McCall’s at Indigo to spend a couple more nights, and we headed back to Hope Center in the truck. Rested and ready to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner, we went through all of the preparation plans in our minds. As soon as we pulled in the gate, everyone got busy getting ready. Tony, Jonathan, Jacob, and Vladimir got busy with Woodnorder and Johnny preparing the pit for cooking the goat. (Junior had given a goat to Tony to cook for his birthday) Katelyn and I immediately got busy cutting carrots, potatoes, and other fresh veggies given to us by Miguelson’s family in the Pine Forest, and Bicly and Makil began the gruesome process of preparing the turkeys. We went to bed late and got up early to start back to the process of cooking. The goat, prepared and wrapped up in banana leaves, cooked all night in the pit. When Jonathan and Tony lifted it out of the pit, we could smell the luscious aroma yards away. We put the turkeys in the oven at 6:30, and started mixing casseroles at 7. Katelyn was busy making desserts in our house while I worked on other dishes in the team kitchen. It was truly a team effort, and everyone was having a blast doing their part. The anticipation of having a huge feast together as a Hope Center family electrified the air, and smiles were on every face. Our friends from Hope Center, Thoman, Terry & Kathy Warren and Mathurin & Genese Merystal, arrived around 10 and we all visited in between timers going off and tables being prepared. By 12:30 all of the food was ready and we began sitting out plates and such to start serving lunch. We gathered together hand-in-hand and gave thanks to God for our Hope Center family and for the provision of food for this feast. We all ate in phases. Adults ate around 1, the orphanage kids and crew ate around 1:30, more friends showed up around 2, and we still had people coming to eat at 5. It was a full day of family, friends, and much, much thankfulness.

We had invited an army of people and yet we never worried once over how we would be able to afford to feed them all. We trusted God to provide and He did. Two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, the FBC Jackson team brought two suitcases full of food items to use in preparation for the meal. They also gave us money to purchase the turkeys! On our trip to the Pine Forest, God provided even more food as Miguelson’s father blessed us with several HUGE cabbages, a sack full of giant carrots, and another sack full of potatoes. All of it was used to prepare this enormous spread of food to celebrate our thankfulness to a Father who loves us and provides for our needs.

Friday was a lazy day for all of us. We slept late, hung out at the house and around Hope Center all day, and continued clean up after our huge day of feasting. We put decorations on the Christmas tree and hung lights around the room in anticipation of the season for celebrating Christ’s birth. We savored every last minute we had left together knowing that the next day our family week would be over and we would be headed back to the airport bright and early Saturday morning.

Katelyn, Jonathan, & Tony decorating the Christmas tree.

Estima stopped by for a visit, so we showed him how to put an ornament on the tree too!

Bicly and Johnny helped as well. They love the Christmas tree in our house.

Katelyn and Jonathan made cookies and we ate almost every single one of them in one day!

Jacob hung lights around the room to make it more festive.

Jonathan and Tony looked over photos on Jonathan’s phone from the week.

Jacob still hanging lights!

The final product after a wonderful day spent with the ones we love most. It’s not the same now that they are gone, but when I look at it, I am reminded of the glorious time we had together this week….and I am grateful.

As I have recounted events over this past week, I can’t think of one single moment that we can’t be thankful for. I’m sure there were some stressful or hard moments mixed in there somewhere, but I honestly cannot recall a single one. I guess that’s because God continues to teach me how to have an attitude of gratitude and find ways to be thankful even when times are hard. We are thankful for our children, thankful for our friends, thankful for our staff, thankful for our family back home that loves us and prays for us daily, thankful for others who support us both financially and prayerfully, and we are thankful that God has made us part of a community of people that has accepted us and loves us because they know that we love them. We are all learning to depend completely on God to give us strength and gratitude for both the good and the bad, and we are grateful to Him for our call to service in His name. We….are….grateful.

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Tagged as but god ministries, Galette Chambon, Ganthier, God's Provision, Haiti, Haiti National Pine Forest, hope center, jacob west, jonathan west, Katelyn Meeks West, Mickie West, mission, Thanksgiving, tony west, west family

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