Dear Friends,
A few days ago, I received a phone call, and the woman on the line introduced herself as working with a charitable fundraising organization. She said that she had been on our website and was looking for the person in charge of fundraising for Starfish Ministries and wondered if I could help her get in contact with that person. I responded that I certainly could give her that name, which is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After a short pause I went on to quote I Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is He who has called you and He also will bring it to pass.” I then told her that God is and always has been faithful, we have been called by Him to this ministry and that we believe His promise that He will provide for all the needs that He purposes for us to serve.
The woman responded that she had not heard of this before but recognized that she wouldn’t be able to compete with that fundraising service and said she now had more to think about.
It is such an encouragement to open the mail each day. God does supply and we get to experience His provision with each donation that comes. This past month many of you have shared beyond what you normally send each month and send little notes of encouragement. Thank you for that!!
I could share many stories of how God has supplied over these past 22 years. One of my favorites is the time when I answered the doorbell ring and encountered a little girl, probably five or six years old. She was holding a small Ziploc bag in her hand with a few coins. As she handed it to me, she said, “Mr. Bovenkamp, would you please use this to help feed the children in Haiti?” It was $4.73, likely taken from her piggy bank. With some emotion I assured her that we would do just that – feed hungry children!
And then there was the time a few years ago when we were short about $10,000 to buy food for our school feeding program and it was near the end of the month when we needed to transfer the money to Haiti. I talked to God that day about that need, acknowledged His faithfulness and wondered how He was going to supply that month. That very evening someone stopped by the house and gave me an envelope that had been given to her to deliver to our ministry. When I opened it I immediately had my answer. It was a check for $15,000 from someone in Tacoma, WA, whom I didn’t know. The name and phone number was on the check so I called him, thanking him and letting him know how God was using him to feed thousands of children. He let me know that five years before, his wife was in an accident and the insurance had just paid off and they were sharing some of those proceeds.
God provides in many ways and is using you to accomplish His work! We are grateful to each of you – thanks for your partnership with us to make a difference in Haiti!
And the results of this are evident in the lives of those who benefit from your generosity. Daniel has shared with us often about his concern for the youth of the Tricotte area. A few years ago he began to reach out to some of those troubled youth.
Huberson Pierre is one of those young men. Huberson was born in Tricotte on June 5, 1996. He writes the following testimony just a few weeks ago.
Spiritually, I become aware that God is the key to everything.
With education, I failed 9th grade thrice. I got discouraged and decided to give up school for good. The director of Starfish Ministries spent time teaching me that if I want to achieve my goals in life, I need a good education. He taught me how to become a hard-working student. With practice, I began to like school again and passed the 9th grade exam the fourth time. Now, I am in 10th grade. My goal is to finish high school and learn be an electro-mechanic.
Economically, Starfish Ministries helps us find work no matter the circumstances in the country. When we used to work in the past we never got paid. Today, we can work with assurance that we’ll get our work’s worth.
Socially, I used to make many poor choices doing what young men usually do. Thank God, my behavior is different now. I’ve learned to follow the leader of Starfish Ministries in good discipline, hard work, and the moral values. With the good mentorship and the grace of God, I know that my life will never be the same again.
It is so encouraging to see the changed lives of many in Haiti. During times of turmoil we could become discouraged, more Covid-19 cases are breaking out in Haiti, I haven’t been able to travel to Haiti in over a year. But then Daniel shares the successes and we know that a difference is being made in lives today. “To God be the Glory, great things He has done.”
Thanks again for your prayers and support as we press on together for God’s glory!!
Serving the Lord together,
Bernie, Sheryl, and Philip Bovenkamp
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