Dear Friends,
We thank God for you and your partnership with us as we minister in Haiti! Last month we shared about a new summer ministry program we were starting. Many of you have responded by generously giving extra this past month. Thank you so much! Part of the reason to do the summer ministry came from the need to feed kids in our poorest villages. Our school ministry directors reported to us that many of the school kids went hungry at times during the summer. So we started a summer camp ministry to include a hot meal in two of our neediest school villages, Morne Chaise and Ti-David.
This morning I talked to our Haitian director, Daniel, and he gave a very positive report about this ministry. In Morne Chaise they have averaged about 125 children per day. Most of these are kids from our school but they have also been inviting village kids who have not been in school. As of yesterday, 14 children in Morne Chaise have responded to the invitation to follow Jesus. How exciting is that? We praise God for what He is doing in these precious lives!
The children come at 8:00 AM and begin with a game time, playing soccer and other team games. They then break into smaller groups for a craft time. When the food is ready, sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 AM, they break for this very important part of the program. Then they have their Bible story time and the explanation of the gospel. During the final half hour or so they have a time for the children to show and share their talents. Some of them put small groups together to sing. Others prepare skits. Others ask riddles and share comedy. The kids love this time and really are excelling in some of these areas. At noon they are done for the day.
The parents have been very supportive and appreciative. They are volunteering their time to work in the kitchen to prepare the meals on a rotating basis. They also provide the wood for the cooking fire and bring water as needed for cooking. The teachers from these two schools have been providing the leadership and teaching time for all the activities.
In Ti-David they have averaged about 160 children per day. In this village 10 children have responded to the gospel presentation AND three parents. Many of the parents come along with their children and get involved in the activities and listen in to the gospel message. Please keep praying for this summer ministry – God is at work in many lives and we are thankful for the harvest of souls. Your financial and prayer support is helping to make this possible!
We have a 40 foot container of supplies that we hope to be shipping to Haiti later this month. We have clothes, shoes, building materials, some hygiene supplies, medical supplies, and school supplies ready to ship. There are a few items we could still use for this container.
- Spiral notebooks
- Pens & pencils
- Chalk
- Geometric school tools
- Scientific calculators
- Backpacks – good used ones are great
- Good used tennis shoes – sized for kindergarten – 6th grade
- Good used dresses – sized for kindergarten – 6th grade
- Toothpaste and brushes
- Musical instruments
- Soccer balls
If you have any of these items you would like to donate please drop them off at our home/office at 1811 Main St, Lynden, WA.
Just a short note about Daniel: As many of you know, Daniel’s fiancé lost her life in the earthquake in January of 2010. It was a very difficult time for Daniel. Now two and a half years later God has blessed Daniel with Madeline and they were married on Saturday, July 21. We praise God for bringing Madeline into Daniel’s life. Please pray for them as they start their life together.
Again – thank you so much for your support!
Serving the Lord together,
Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp
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