The children have started back at school in East Africa. Because of your faithfulness, we were able to send $1,900 so orphans could attend high school. We are excited to see these children grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and especially spiritually. We want to see the orphans graduate from high school and continue into college. We hope that they will be come strong vessels for the Lord’s service in whatever He chooses for their lives.

“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.” 1 Samuel 1:27-18. Let us stand in the gap and pray for these precious lives as Hannah prayed for her own beloved son. Let’s fervently lift them Jesus.

We are excited as the ministry continues to grow! We just received another 60 applications into the orphan ministry of new orphans needing support! Some of these children have been disregarded by their parents, or lost their parents due to illness. Either way, they are hurting, needing love, needing grace, needing mercy, needing Christ.

If you would like more information about supporting an orphan please write us at fmi@igmonline.org or call us at (203) 364-4483. Please consider helping us send orphans to school, you may donate any amount at any time to the FMI Scholarship Fund.

Life is so exciting as we choose to serve Jesus and help these precious lives!

The first full day we were able to get all the men together for a conference to share our vision for the orphan ministry, and to listen to the victories and challenges that they face every day.
The second day I was able to visit with Pastor Jacsene Orelus and see his ministry and orphans. He was such a blessing! His heart and love for orphans is unquenchable. His church and school buildings have been flooding every time it rains since the government did some road work and removed the ditch where the water would normally flow. Now with the ditch gone, the water flows right into Jacsene’s church building. Please continue to pray and see what the Lord would have you to do to help with this great need.  Despite the need, his orphans are doing great.  I saw such love and tenderness in their eyes, and to see them learning about the Lord was such a blessing.

 
The third day we went with Pastor Delisme Jean Joel to visit his school, church and orphanage.  To see the damage at his church from the earthquake was heart-wrenching. They had also been using the church building for a school. Now they are down a block and up a hill, under makeshift tents. It was a blessing to see his steadfastness, as well as his desire to see the children raised in the love of Jesus.

The last full day I was there, I had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Fritz Voltaire. He is truly fulfilling the mission of our Orphan Ministries.  When I arrived at his place, school was in session (held in the church building). The teachers in the school were once orphans themselves. Another orphan is now in Theology school and wants to be Fritz’s right-hand man, ready to preach the Word whenever needed.  A crowd of orphans surrounded all of us with huge smiles on their faces, demonstrating a love for Christ and one another that puts most of us to shame here in America.  I was then able to take updated pictures of all the orphans who have a sponsor, and the new orphans who don’t.  Before we headed back to our place of rest, we were able to meet with Pastor Lucien Metedieu, who just took in 10 orphans as a result of the earthquake. He doesn’t have an orphanage yet, but he took them into his home anyway.  He was able to get their names and an idea of their ages, but since they lost their parents in the quake he is still trying to get more information.  Please pray for Pastor Lucien as he helps these children.

I was able to visit many of the orphan ministries in March. One thing that I immediately became aware of was the number of tents of all kinds being used by the people in and around Port au Prince. Those whose homes were still standing were also sleeping in tents in their yards for fear of tremors causing further danger. Pastor Voltaire had his orphans sleeping in the orphanage compound in tents, and he and his wife were staying in a tent on the roof of their house. The pastors also had to close their schools because people were staying in the school areas. Pray that the schools may get back in session and their lives of these may return to some normalcy. Though Pastor Metedieu lost his church building, he had some fifty people sleeping in a tent on the church property. As you can see, the pastors are giving of their own resources and doing what they can to help their fellow Haitians.

I want to thank those who contributed to the Haiti Orphan Relief Fund and our Haiti Orphan Project Fund. I was able to take some of these funds with me to help these pastors care for the orphans in this time of need. I believe God will richly bless you for your love for the fatherless.
Finally, please pray for Pastor Medeus Edwige. Due to his battle with colon cancer, he has asked to be relieved of his orphans’ care. He has been faithful for many years, and we are sorrowed that his health is failing. He gives the testimony that he is “ready to go home”.

Rita and I are praying about returning to Haiti early this summer to see how we might again be a help to them. Please pray with us regarding our plans. Also pray for the possible construction of an orphanage for Pastor Jacsene Orelus in the Pierre-Payen area.