Pathfinder Update May 2012

Well, where should I begin?  So much has happened over the past two months.  I am putting pen to paper (actually fingers to keys) in Jacmel.  Martie is in Alabama but has been cleared to come to Jacmel in July.  Then it looks like she is going to have surgery on her other hip.  Her recovery has gone so well.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers on her behalf. We are looking to January 2013 as the target for our shift to spending the majority of our time in Haiti.  We got a passport for Jessica and she will be making her first international trip in July with Martie.
I was watching a podcast by Dr. David Platt this week.  Did you know that more than 1 billion people in the world live on less that $1 a day?  About 2 billion on less than $2 a day.  An average American .. $90 per day.  20,000 children die every day from starvation and preventable diseases.  If you make at least $25,000 a year you are in the top 10% of the money makers in the world. To be considered poor in the United States in 2011 you had to make less than $22,350 or less for a family of 4 that is about $15 per day per person.

On average Christians tithe 2.5% of their income.  On average churches send 2% of the money they receive to world missions.  That means that of every $100 in wages, 5 cents goes to world missions.   I can hear the gears whirring in the minds of all my ‘bean counter’ friends!  David Platt’s question was .. ‘is a lost and dying world worth more than a nickel a day?’     I shared this information with you, not to send you on a guilt trip but to give you some perspective on what we are doing in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  Haiti is the 18^th poorest country in the world.  70% of the people live on less than $2 per day.  80% of the people live below the poverty line.  Haiti spends $82 per person per year on health .. the U.S. $6,100 per person.  Infant mortality is 60 in 1000 in Haiti.  6 in 1000 in the U.S.  There are 500,000 orphans in a population of 9.5 million.  OK, now for what we are doing here.

 

Children’s Hope.  We are increasing the capacity from 20 orphans (we are currently at capacity) to 60 orphans.  We have begun the excavation on Phase 2 houses.  Volunteers from Georgia came for a week in early May.  The goal was 3 sites excavated and they completed 5.  I walked the site with Dave Bird from Calvary International Development Ministries, today.  Dave provided the crews for the foundations and truss building for Phase 1 and he will do the same for Phase 2.  We are able to use Haitians for this phase which means jobs for men and food and housing for families.  We should begin the footings and slabs for 5 houses in a couple of weeks.  Our goal is to have the first three houses done by September and all of the houses done by the first of the year.   We are going to need help with plumbing, electrical work, painting, roofing, etc.  I will have more information on that as the building progresses.  There are teams scheduled already through the Alabama Baptists.  If you are thinking about bringing a team to help, please let me know soonest.

 

Medical Clinic.  The clinic is running well.  It is open 4 days of the week, and every Friday the staff goes to a mountain village for the day.  On that day they will see about 100 people.  As knowledge of the clinic broadens across the Jacmel community, more people are coming for help.  We have added a Doctor to our staff … Dr. Ronald Lejer (right).  He has been practicing in Port au Prince since 1998. We are also expecting several Medical teams to come from the U.S. to help during the year.  My brother, Don, who is certified in orthotics and pedorthics … roughly he makes braces and corrective appliances for limbs, feet and torsos .. is coming to Les Cayes in June and plans to come over my way for a short visit.  We recently leased the building for the clinic for 1 year.  We are leasing 6 – 12x24 buildings .. no electricity or plumbing.  During a recent medical missions team visit, 15 Haitians prayed to receive Christ during their visit to the clinic.

Schools.  Pathfinder is supporting 4 Christian schools.  What that means is that we are paying the teachers’ salaries and will be providing a lunch meal for the children.  Three schools are in operation and the fourth is taking registrations.  We will have well over 200 children in school in September.  50% of the school age children in Haiti do not go to school because their parents don’t have the money to send them.  80% of the schools in Haiti are private.  When the parents can’t afford the tuition of $12.00 USD per year per child, we are offering free education. Their education includes Biblical studies.  We are also providing free medical care to the students through our clinic.  Working with Calvary International Development Ministries, we will have access to prepackaged lunches so all the cooks will need to do is put them in boiling water. God is Good!

I am meeting with each school’s staff to explain our partnership with the Pastors and the schools.  While I was meeting with the teachers at one school, the Georgia team was sharing the gospel using a device called the Evangi-Cube with about 60 children, using a translator.  20 children prayed to receive Christ.  I used that blessing to encourage the other pastors in understanding the great opportunity they had to spread the Gospel through the children that attend their schools.

Bibles for Haiti.  This June we will begin our Bible distribution.  We are going to start with the school teachers.  If they are to teach about the Bible, they must have a Bible … sounds like a no brainer doesn’t it .. so why did I just make the connection yesterday!  We have contributions enough to purchase 130 Bibles.  We picked up the first 72 Bibles yesterday.  I have talked to local pastors about distributing them.  They will be given to members who can read but do not have a Bible and then those who can’t read will be offered the opportunity to learn to read using a Bible in the language of the people.

 

   

Seamstress Training.  We are working with Calvary International Development Ministries to train widows and single moms as seamstresses.  John Turnbull, Mendocino, CA, stood in for me for a month while I was with Martie for the surgery and recovery.  He has organized the shipment of sewing machines to Jacmel and coordinated with volunteers from the San Francisco area to bring material and patterns and stay for two weeks to launch the training.  We will use one of the 6 cottages at the medical clinic as a vo-tech school to train the women. The ‘students’ will be making the school uniforms for the fourth school I mentioned. 

Supporting the Work.

At this point, Pathfinder is paying the salaries for 25 Haitians .. medical staff and teachers.  When we add the fourth school the number will be 32.  That is 32 families that have an assurance of food on the table and a place to lay their heads at night.  The average salary for these folks is $100 US per month.  That means that we need about $3000 per month now and will need about $3500 per month to support the payroll expenses.  Pastor Paul, a leading pastor in Jacmel has asked me to consider adding two more Church schools to our list.   If money is the grease for the wheels of ministry .. the Holy Spirit is the power that runs the engine.  My point? We need financial support.  Any funds designated for ministry are allocated 100% to that ministry.  We raise our personal support and other ministry expenses – like airfare, phones, etc. – separately.  Would you consider joining us financially in this work?  And don’t miss the second part of the ministry equation … We need you to pray for us and the Haitian professionals that we are helping.  This is a spiritual journey that we have embarked on.  We must keep our focus on the One who has called us.  He is the Source and the Provider.  All glory goes to Him. 

If you would like to help us make a difference in Haiti through financial support please go to our website at http://www.pathfindermission.org/Donations.html.  Or otherwise you can send a check to Pathfinder Mission, P.O. Box 240185, Eclectic, AL 36024.  Phone 228-493-1272.  Pathfinder is a 501(c) 3 non-profit ministry.  All donations are tax deductible. 

God Bless You.