Posted by Jim Warner, GAiN USA Missionary: 14 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

If you have been reading our blog you are aware that Cheryl has been teaching Haitian ladies jewelry making skills. The ladies are making beaded jewelry and baskets, and selling them at the Hope Gift Shop here on the mission team compound. These sales help to financially provide for their families! And supplies are required to keep this process moving forward. Well, we recently received a tremendous blessing!

A short time ago we lost a dear sister. Her name is Liz Manfredini. And Liz was a “beader.” She has now gone to be with the Lord. But before she left us, she told her husband Joe she wanted her beads donated to Haiti. ALL 400 POUNDS OF HER BEADS!! It goes without saying that this donation is a huge blessing to the ladies here in Haiti and will fuel their jewelry making efforts for a long time. 400 pounds is a lot of beads! And they are starting to make their way down here to Haiti – one suitcase at a time!

We are so grateful that God led Liz to make this donation. Countless families will be helped financially through the sale of beautiful jewelry made from the beads Liz and Joe have donated. We want to offer up our heartfelt thanks for this gift and we pray that it will be multiplied in the years to come. God is good. Even in life’s most difficult circumstances.

by Jordan Piper, NVM Intern

In 2011 I was certain of one thing in particular, regarding my future: I was going to spend 6 months serving at Nehemiah Vision Ministries in Haiti. Although I knew that's where God was leading me from January 16, 2012 to July 17,2012...I didn't know where I would end up after I returned to the United States. Many people prior to me arriving here, and people who were on short-term trips here at NVM, would ask me, "So, what are you doing when you get home?". That question began to resonate more and more on my heart. I had made it one of my top priorities in my prayers, asking for God's direction and guidance in what the next step was in my life. Even though I was concerned with this, I didn't want to become TOO consumed with it, that I would miss out on where I am NOW. So, as people continued to ask me, I simply responded, "We'll see where God leads me!". I would go on to describe that I had a passion for children and youth ministry...so that could possibly be an option somewhere down the road.

I remember one week in March, very specifically. It was the busiest week we've had here at NVM, since my arrival; there were 5 or 6 teams and around 120+ people on campus. There was one team in particular that I was excited to meet and work alongside; a team of twelve middle schools kids with their two counselors/leaders from Kanakuk (Christian youth camps). I had been volunteering a lot with the PreTeen/Youth Ministry at my home church in Raleigh, and absolutely loved it. I missed all those kids from home...so I was excited to meet these middle schoolers! I must say that these kids were absolutely amazing here. They got along so well with the Haitian children...it was awesome to see their interactions with each other. Both of their leaders called me aside at different times, to tell me that they absolutely loved how much I poured into their middle school team, and that they think I would do very well in youth ministry. This was very encouraging for me to hear..and very unexpected! To make a long story short(er), I felt like God brought this Kanakuk middle school team  here for a reason: to solidify the fact that I absolutely love youth ministry and need to pursue this as my next "step" in life.

I will be studying Youth Ministry at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, starting in the Fall of 2012. I will only have about a month-and-a-half turnaround between my arrival back in the United States and the first day of class. It's hard to believe that I only have 2 months and 10 days left here in Haiti. I am excited to see what God has in store for me for these next 2 months, as well as my first semester at Liberty University in the Fall! If you feel led to support me with my ministry here in Haiti, or would just like to help out with the expenses that go along with college, then I would greatly appreciate it! IF you don't feel led to support financially, that is completely fine. I would be more than happy with you simply praying for me as I spend the remaining 2 months here in Haiti and as I transition back into life back in the States and at Liberty University! You can never have too many people praying for you :)

By Jim & Cheryl Warner, GAIN USA Missionaries

Posted: 30 Apr 2012 08:20 AM PDT

A few months back NVM planted a church in Onaville. You may remember from previous posts that Onaville is the largest displacement camp in Haiti following the earthquake. Well, we have good news to report.

The church in Onaville is flourishing. They have up to 500 in attendance, there is a strong youth group emerging and 40 men are meeting every other Sunday for Bible study. These men are learning about how to become stronger leaders in their homes and in the church. This is a huge step as strong male leadership is a key for healthy families and church growth.

There is another exiting thing happening. 50 couples that have joined the church since it started a short time ago are not married. Through solid Bible teaching, they have come to realize that they need to be married. In July a mass wedding is being planned for all 50 couples to be married at the same time! We will certainly post a report after this event.

Please be praying for the Onaville church. It is indeed a bright light in a dark place.

April’s Family Visits Over this past month, we had the privilege of having some of our family down here to see what we do, where we live, etc… Suzy (my sister) and Neal (her fiance) came down at the beginning of the month for one week. Then Linda (B’s mom), Kevin (B’s dad), and Stephanie (B’s sister) all came down and stayed for one week. It was SO nice to see some of our family from back home. They all said they enjoyed their time down here and that it was so good to see what our lives looked like in Haiti (besides through video and pictures). It was so nice to have them here, SO nice! While Suzy and Neal were here, they were able to attend a Haitian wedding! One of our new good friends, Clersondy (who currently works with NVM and is super smart and creative when it comes to music and song writing) had his wedding the week they were here and invited them to come along. Very neat experience to have with my sister who is getting married THIS July!!! Also, weddings aren’t very common down here and marriage isn’t a big priority, so it is a big deal when one does happen! They got to meet all of our friends and “family” down here, including our Haitian friends and my god-daughter! :) Everyone kept asking, “when are they coming back and for a longer time?” (funny because I kept wondering the SAME thing! :) ) We were able to head to the beach with them for one day too. It was nice to get away and to have them see another side of Haiti. Only negatives about their trip = A. it was too short (always is with my sister!) and B. they did get sick during their stay here (with sinus stuff :( ) Other than that, I think it was a successful trip! Praise God! It still feels surreal that they were actually here! We had one week in between my sister’s visit and Brandon’s family’s visit. Suzy and Neal left Monday (April 16th) and B’s family got here on the following Saturday morning, so we were able to spend Easter Sunday down here with them! Then we were able to take THREE days (TWO NIGHTS!!) off with them and stay at the beach! SUCH a blessing! We hadn’t had more than a total of one night off/away since we moved here in November!! We really needed some R&R and it was great to spend time with his parents and sister. Very thankful for that time. The rest of their week here was spent, again, meeting our friends and “family” down here. Very cool for Brandon and I to introduce them all to Darlene’s family. I am pretty sure Linda could’ve sat and held Darlene’s baby, Landia, forever!!!! :) The ladies that work with me in the kitchen were especially happy to meet our family members! Specifically, Jolina and Guilande who, upon the Hutchen’s arrival, waited for them to exit the truck and giggled like little school girls when we introduced them! So funny! They, also, could NOT get over the fact that Brandon’s parents only had TWO kids!!! :) haha…. It was hard to say bye to everybody, but we had SUCH a good month of April with the visits!!! Very thankful for our families!!!! :)

When traveling on a mission trip, one typically goes in order to bless others with your gifts and talents, but often you come home feeling like you received much more than you have given. On this current trip to Haiti, I became seriously ill to the point of being so dehydrated that I needed to get an I.V. to build my fluid levels. Never in my life had I ever felt so poorly. But what was most pleasant about my experience was how members of my team took up the slack and still had the grace and goodness to serve my needs.

I quickly realized why all the missionaries here refer to Cheryl Warner as Mom. She was there for just like my mom would have been when I was sick. She served me Gatorade and brought some crackers. Cheryl serves the community here in many ways, leading beading, sewing, and basketmaking classes.

Nurse Aubree Dell was also feeling poorly with the same symptoms as I had, and the staff also met her needs. Our two other nurses, E'Tienne York and Brooke Smalley checked on me, gave me some meds and eventually the I.V. which definitely helped speed my recovery. After much rest and TLC, I am back to feeling more like myself. I owe all of them, as well as my teammates from EastPointe, a big thank you for their selfless giving.

The nurses here mean so much to the communities of Chambrun and Despinos, serving many hours a week in the clinic. They also walk up to Chambrun nearly every day and see patients who couldn't come to clinic or to do follow-ups. If you are unaware, they rely on faith promise giving to remain in Haiti doing as God would have them serve. If you would like to make a donation to their efforts you can do so at the following link: http://www.nehemiahvisionministries.org/donationtype.aspx?t=missionaries

Brooke Smalley

Aubree Dell

E'Tienne York

Today marked the opening of the fourth segment of the Haitian Pastors Conference in Chambrun. Pastor Jim Butler and Tim Cowell from EastPointe Bible Church in Peru, Indiana taught on the subject of eternal security. Due to heavy rains in the general Port-au-Prince area, transportation was difficult with many roads covered in high water. At the scheduled start time, only 16 pastors had made it successfully to campus. By the lunch break, that number had more than doubled.

The three day conference teaches Haitian pastors the importance of preaching God's word to their congregations by being able to understand and explain the difficult passages and concepts in scripture. Previous conferences have covered the topics: Theology Proper, Bibliology, and Hermenuetics.

Rainy season has once again descended upon Chambrun, Haiti. We have experienced heavy downpours each of the last two evenings, which have left large puddles and mud everywhere. It is even harder on the villagers in Chambrun, where they typically have a dirt floor, mud hut, and an aluminum roof. I know how loud the sound of the rain's impact is in the NVM dorms during the torrential rains, but must be so much louder on a tin roof. Add to that the thunder and lightning of last night's storm, and I'm sure most of the children must have been terrified by the sounds!

God has used storms since the time of Noah, but he also made a promise afterward.

In particular, I am reminded of God's promise to us in the 54th chapter of book of Isaiah:

9    “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
      For as I have sworn
      That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
      So have I sworn
      That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.

10  For the mountains shall depart
      And the hills be removed,
      But My kindness shall not depart from you,
      Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
      Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

11   “O you afflicted one,
      Tossed with tempest, and not comforted...

13  All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
      And great shall be the peace of your children.

14  In righteousness you shall be established;
      You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
      And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

So maybe God uses the rains and storms for the benefit (and not the determent) of the children of Chambrun.

Verse 13 kind of sums up that idea, and in a way, brings forth what the Nehemiah Vision Ministries' school is all about: teaching the children about the Lord so that they may become established in His righteousness.

by Brooke Smalley, NVM Nurse

Not only that, but most of our friends have barely enough food to meet the needs of their own family let alone guests. And let's be honest, we are guests that have food...plenty of food. It always makes my heart cringe to eat food that I know other people need more than me and yet, there is nothing more that Natacha wants in that moment than to serve us. So tonight we ate supper in Natacha's home. We were served our food on the two best dishes she has and we were prepared a feast of food that included chicken, vegetables, and sauce.

We drew quite the crowd as we sat at Natacha's table and ate the meal prepared for us...I suppose it isn't everyday that our little friends have two white girls in their home eating Haitian food=) Today, I was given not only the best food my friend had to offer but love and service to me. As I walked home I felt that God was reminding me that this is the pattern He has for me. I am to offer my best and am called to serve the people He has brought into my life.

I promise I didn't lick my bowl=)

Last week I was walking through the toy isle at the local dollar store and came across a memory from back when I was a young boy. I used to love water powered rockets. If you are old enough to remember these, then you are probably in your 40's or 50's. About the time NASA was shooting Apollo rockets to land on the moon, these toys were popular. I had several of them back then, and remembered how much fun they were, so when I saw them, I bought 2 of them for my sponsored child in Haiti. In the clearance aisle priced at $2.27 each - there was no question I was buying them.

Fast forward to today when I presented Jean Lucson with his sponsor pack and he asked me what they yellow and orange things were. We unwrapped one and proceeded to the water faucet by the school. Knowing that he had never seen one before, I explained how it worked, he didn't question it, but simply believed. I demonstrated it to him and gave him instruction in my best broken Kreyol. "You pour in some water until it reaches the line on the side of the rocket, then you attach the air pump and pump it up about 30 to 40 times and pull the trigger." I told him, "then The water pressure sends the rocket up in the air about 10-12 meters."

We started out about 3 hours ago with 5 or 6 kids watching Lucson fire it in the air. Within a few minutes the were about 20 kids crowded around each one wanting to put the water in, or pump in the air, or fire the rocket toward the heavens. Three hours later, there are still 13 kids out playing with the little $2.27 rocketship. Each one with a huge smile pasted on their face!

What a terrific little investment my $2.27 was! How little we realize what a small gift can do to bring a smile to a child who has suffered hardship his entire life. There were other necessary items in his sponsor pack, clothing, socks, underwear, shoes, food, toy cars, and candy, but what will Jean Lucson remember most from today, probably that for one day he had something that made him special among the children of the Nehemiah school - he had a cool little rocketship and lots of friends who wanted to play with him.

Jesus told his disciples to let the little children suffer not and come to Him because the kingdom of Heaven is made up of such as these. As parents we are to instruct our children so that they may grow-up with belief. Today I witnessed first-hand what child-like belief and their enthusiasm looks like. Sure it cost me $2.27 to observe this lesson, but it's value to me was priceless.

If you haven't traveled to the Nehemiah campus in Haiti recently, you may be surprised at the many new faces you will find working as missionaries and interns on campus. While everyone knows nurse Aubree Dell who is almost through her second year at NVM, she is joined by fellow nurses, E'Tienne York and Brooke Smalley, who have been on campus since last summer.

Aubree, E'Tienne, and Brooke enjoying time with their little friends in Chambrun.

Brandon and Katie Hutchens have been on campus since November serving as the Mission Team coordinators. Brandon and Katie have grown in their roles since coming to campus.

Brandon and Katie

GAiN USA Missionaries Jim & Cheryl Warner along with two of their daughters have been here since the end of May and have recently expresssed their desire to stay on campus for another year. Jim and Cheryl coordinate the GAiN teams that come to campus. In additiion, Cheryl teaches the sewing, beading and basketmaking outreaches to Haitian women, while Jim leads an outreach to Haitian pastors one Saturday each month.

Jim & Cheryl Warner along with their daughters (front row on each end) and a few GAiN team members.

We also have two interns on campus, Maggie Younker who will be heading home in June and Jordan Piper who will be heading home in July.

Jordan & Maggie have been a tremendous asset on campus, helping mission teams with their projects and doing a lot of the "behind the scenes" things to make people's experiences on campus more enjoyable and rewarding.

Jordan Piper

Maggie Younker

Finally, but certainly not least, we have Brodie Herb, Pastor Pierre's personal assistant who has been on campus on and off for about 16 months. Brodie has been wonderful in helping keep communications flowing from campus to the US and back. Brodie will be returning home to get married next month.

Brodie and her fiancée Greg

The whole campus team