Greetings:

I would like to direct you to our new blog location

http://promiseforhaiti.tumblr.com/

Three receive new prosthetic limbs at Jasper Clinic in Pignon

I recently I took a trip to Pignon. While there  I had the opportunity to spend time at the Jasper Clinic watching the process as they worked on prosthetic legs for 3 patients that had been brought to Pignon the day before.  

Madame Pierre Camele is a diabetic she lost her legs 5 years ago and has been dependent on her children ever since.  She is hoping that a new prosthetic limb will allow her to be more independent and maybe live on her own again. 

Bien- Aime Lameuse is 28 years old he lost his leg  5 years ago in an electrical accident at the hospital where he works. He has been dependent on friends in the Dominican Republic to assist him with finding food and living. He is hoping that a new prosthetic leg will allow him to become independent and find work.  

Madame Mildred Benoit lost her leg in a truck accident.  She has an older prosthetic leg that was adjusted and fixed using a old ten penny nail.  This nail has rubbed on her skin and caused a ulcer.  She lives with her husband who is a teacher and 6 children.  She is hoping a new leg will help her ulcer heal and allow her to continue to care for her husband and children. 

             In Picture Madame Mildred Beniot, Bien-Aime Lameuse and Madame Pierre Camele. 

                                 Working on new Prosthetic Leg for Madame Beniot

                                          Madame Beniot learning to walk on her new leg.

Consider bringing following items to PIgnon when you go

When you come to Pignon please bring sheets, blankets, pilows, pillow cases to leave at the dorm to help restock the items that are there. 

 

If you have a little extra room in your suitecase please consider bringing one or two of these items for the dorms to help replace or restock items.  Please also make Adele or Gyrlene aware that you have brought items for the dorm so they can be marked.

 

drinking glasses

cups

pitchers

coffee pots

ice trays

2-5 gallon water jug/container

Silverware

plates/dishes

condiments

kitchen utensils

xtra large trash can bags- ( 55 gallon )

dish towels/pot holders

bed Pillows

large mixing bowls

food serving bowls

duct tape

paper tablets and printer paper for administration

lines/towels/blankets/sheets

trash cans

trash bags- 55 gallon size

 

Thank you

Reflections

This reflection about Promise For Haiti's mission work was shared by a board member.

An intuitive comparison of the words spoken by Jesus to the blessings in Pignon makesone think of the good works performed.

Matthew 11:5. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy arecleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 

"I am thinking of:

 The Eye clinic-1236 Patients seen, 774 Eye glasses dispensed, 74 Eye surgeries performed.

The Jaipur Limb Clinic - 83 limbs to 75 patients

The Vaginal Fistula surgeries-15 modern day "lepers" treated and Haitian surgeons trained to carry on this work. 

Five Loaves and the good news it proclaims to the poor. " 

June Partners meeting

                  A SUCCESSFUL PARTNER'S MEETING

                                    HELD IN JUNE! 

                                                          (reported by Denny Brand)

 

The Partner's meeting was held in Minneapolis, MN on June 1. There were 29 people who were in attendance.  As I think about this meeting, I am reminded of a chorus that has a line "there's a sweet, sweet, spirit in this place."  The spirit was truly there.  I have attended many meetings over the years with PFH/CBP, but have never attended one that was more enjoyable and fun.  People were meeting people who they knew about because of the mission, but had never met face to face.  People were hearing from all of the leaders who shared enthusiastically their part of the mission.  It was rewarding to have medical staff, construction leaders, and educators join together and share ideas on how we can work together to make this mission stronger. I think everyone who was there, left the meeting feeling appreciated, respected, and energized to do even more than they are now.

Those who attended the meeting and took part were:

Siri Fieberger, Fargo, ND - President of the PFH board and Fargo Surgical Team

Denny Brand, Pella, IA -Executive Director and a member of the Board and Task Force

Fr. Jethro Noel, Pignon, Haiti - member of the CBP Board

Adele Romelus,Pignon, Haiti - Deputy Director of the mission

Tim Brand,Spencer , IA - Executive Director of MH4H

Paul Severson, Deerwood, MN -Project Haiti

Dean & Paula Van Roekel, Sioux City,IA - Sunnybrook Church

Jeff and Pam Van Sant, Pella, IA - vehicle maintenance

Art Trask, Springfield, MO- Surgical team/ACS

John and Polly Collier, Houston, TX - Biomed training

Dr. Guy Theodore, Pignon, Haiti - Founder of the mission and Field Director

Doug Grunder, Mt. Vernon, IA -Board member, Task force, and Health Development Account ministry

Sue Ishee, Nashville,TN - Board member and Treasurer of PFH

Jim Birong, Carrollton,OH - Board member and Dental Clinic

Bev Brand ,Pella, IA - H.E.L.P. Educational  Program

Georgia Default, Fargo, ND - Fargo Surgical team and supply shipping

Lorrie Beauchamp Berg, Fargo, ND - Volunteer Coordinator, Fargo surgical team and nursing education

Herb and Lucy Sikkink,Hinckley, MN - Septic system and work projects

Ron Nomeland,Fargo, ND - Board member and Secretary of Board

Phil and Jan Wineland, Sioux City, IA - Sunnybrook Church

I want to express a big thank you to everyone for joining us in our Partner's meeting.  The reports were informative and the discussions that followed were excellent.

I am excited to see how the Lord is going to use all of us to further his kingdom through this mission.      

Resignation of Executive Director

RESIGNATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR!

After much prayer, discernment, and talking with those I love and respect, I feel like it is time for me to resign as the Executive Director of PFH.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know all of you on a more personal level and to listen and watch your incredible devotion to this mission.

I still plan to be very involved in the mission, but move into areas that I feel I am more gifted.  I still am willing to serve on the Board as I think we are getting much better positioned to make a difference.  I still want to serve on the Task Force.  Again, we have started some good initiatives and would like to continue in seeing those areas through.  Finally - I want to throw myself into the Health Development  Account ministry.  After spending time in Haiti and listening to the difference the HDA has made in so many people's lives, I want to make this even more available to more of our dear Haitian friends.  This ministry tool supports the hospital directly, provides health care to Haitian people who otherwise couldn't afford it, and finally but certainly not less important, it is a tool to spread the gospel.  Eventually it will be a tool to help economic development by providing micro loans.

I have told the Board that my last day to serve as Executive Director will be August 31.  I encourage all of you to look at your giftedness and skill sets, and if you are interested in the Executive Director position, please follow your heart and let the Lord lead. I would be most happy to visit with any of you who would like more information.  My e-mail address isdbrand@iowatelecom.net 

Blessings,

Denny Brand

Dental Work and Dr Jim Birong

 Dr. Jim Birong's Team Aids Dental Health in Pignon!

 Below is Dr. Birong's account of many years of service.

"Dr Guy asked me to teach modern dentistry so I began teaching in 1997.

After teaching for 3 years I went down and Dr. Guy asked me to review the finances of the clinic since they were loosing money. Upon reviewing the dental records I found they were extracting 300 teeth and filling only 20 teeth  so I asked Dr. Petite why. He said it was economic. It cost $10 to fill a tooth and$2 to extract a tooth so everyone choose to extract. It was at this time that we decided to create an insurance fund to cover the school children.  We reduced the children filling fee to $5 and set up the insurance fund to pay $4 of the $5 so the children would pay $1 for a filling and $2 for an extraction. Today we are filling 300 teeth and extracting 20 teeth every month for the children in 20 schools. Dr. Wesley Joseph works just on children. Dr. Petite does adult patients. The children get check up, cleaning, and any filling work they need including root canals. So today because of the insurance fund, the children of Pignon are getting modern dental care and the dental clinic is running in the black."     

 Donations made to the dental clinic give new smiles to so many as well as provide dental visits to the school children. In 2012, 6,506 patients were seen. The number projected for 2013 is 7,307.                                                                       

Just recently the team made their annual trip to Pignon. This is what Dr. Birong said about their visit. 
            

"We did have a very productive trip to Pignon. We seated a couple more anterior bridges so we have a couple more beautiful smiles in Pignon .Our big push this trip was to refurbish the dental clinic and the dental lab. We painted the dental clinic inside and out put up new fluorescent lighting and replaced all the lower cabinets . We also replaced the lower cabinets in the dental lab. Many of the old cabinets had broken drawers which did not slide, making it difficult to get the right instrument. The new cabinets were donated by a dentist in Canton, Ohio and were specifically designed for a dental office with many smaller drawers which will make the instruments much more accessible."

CHALLENGE MET

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

 The challenge was met and then some!

.

 $27,575.00 was matched against the original $20,000 bringing the total to$47,575.00. Please accept the thanks of all those people who are going to benefit from your generosity, that being the folks who are needing the hospital today.
 You have truly lived out the words of 1 John 3: 16 - 20.

Blessings to all of you!
Denny Brand

Matching Grant

MAZING NEWS! YOU DID IT! Not only did Promise for Haiti get the total match in donations...........we surpassed it! Thank you to all who donated to make $20,000 in matching funds turn into nearly $48.000! Much needed medicine and supplies can now be purchased, as well as being able to pay doctors. nurses and staff for the months of April and May. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! God is good.

Jim and Pat Metzelaar

Denny Brand, our Executive Director, just recently traveled to Louisiana and met with Pat and Jim Metzelaars. Denny presented a plaque to them for their giving many years of service to the mission of Promise For Haiti and other areas throughout the country of Haiti.

Pat and Jim Metzelaars made their first trip to Haiti in 1982. In 1991, they came to Pignon where Jim served as an anesthetist and Pat worked as a nurse. Jim was Board President from 1998-2004 and Pat volunteered to be Stateside Coordinator from 1996-2004. Since retiring, they have continued to support the mission particularly in shipping medicines and supplies. What a blessing they have been through the years!  

Click here,Metzelaars to read more of their wonderful story about Haiti!

Mind Blowing Learning about Haiti

This is taken from a blog of some Friends of Mine.  They have lived in Port A Prince for 10 years.  I thought I would share.  It is always good to try and better understand the cutlure to make us better guests when we go to Pignon. 

These are some points I recently read in African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz.  The 3 bullet points are a summary of about 10 pages.  I also replaced Africanwith Haitian since we are in the mindset of Haiti.  The Haitians here today were originally brought over as slaves from Africa and you find many similarities between the two cultures.

1. Compliments are frequently given indirectly in the form of a requests for gifts and are often formulated as questions.

Examples are: “Why don’t you give me your blouse?” Or “Give me your pants.”

These mean that the blouse and pants are really nice.  Typical compliments and acceptable responses are like these:

“I like your shirt.”

Response:

• “I will give it to you when I take it off,”
• Or better yet, “When it has a little brother I will give it to you,” meaning, “When I have another I’ll give it to you.”

The responses imply that they will give it to the person, yet really they have no intention of doing so!  Haitians understand those responses as replies that mean No.  For the average foreigner the answers seem a bit dishonest, or at least deceptive.  To a Haitian it would be considerate of their feelings than would be a blunt “No, I won’t give it to you.”  It may seem strange that these compliments are given as requests, and the responses are given as though they were real requests.

The American may think that if these are complements, why not just answer with, “Thank you for the compliment, I’m glad you like my blouse.”  But this is not how the GAME is played.  The rules of the game dictate that the response to the compliment be given on two or three levels.

3 Levels

1. Level 1 – The first level is to appear to take the request seriously as a request.
2. Level 2 – To fend off the request with a polite and phony excuse as to why it will not be granted
3. Level 3 – If the one receiving the compliment is capable of responding on this level, what most delights Haitians is to have a joke made out of it in a clever way.
4. Better still – is to be humorous or clever and in addition mildly embarrass the other person.  Playing word games of this kind is one of the joys of conversation.

Example of Level 3

When a friend was hiking in the mountains she came upon a cattle herder watching over his animals.  He admired the watch she was wearing and asked her to give it to him.  She said, “Gladly, and I’ll take one of your cows in exchange.”  The man was incredulous, “One of my cows?”  She responded, “Yes, but since the watch doesn’t keep good time, you can give me a cow that limps.”  At that point they both began to laugh, and each went on their way content with having had a pleasant verbal exchange.

2. Westerners are not accustomed to compliments being formulated as requests, and easily misinterpret them and take offense.

It makes sense why we, foreigners, misunderstand compliments.  In our own culture compliments are virtually never given as requests.  In Haiti, foreigners are constantly approached by people requesting money, aid, loans, or real requests.  We can feel bombarded by these requests.  After time we can become conditioned to quickly react negatively to all requests, not understanding the subtle differences between importunity and compliment.  *I didn’t learn this until much later.  If only I had read this book the first month we came  .

Example of a request not expected to be granted

“Can you take me to your country?” Or, “Will you teach me English?” Certainly the asker would like to have these requests filled, but when the foreigner being addressed is almost a total stranger, he knows it is very unlikely.  I understand these requests to be conversational openers, attempts to establish a friendly relationship, and verbalization of the recognition that the person being addressed has access to resources, position, and power.

3.  Haitians prefer to apologize symbolically, rather than verbally, when they have made a mistake or feel personal shame.

Haitians want to maintain dignity, honor and similar personal qualities, and avoid shame and humiliation.  These are extremely important.  So direct apologies, which might be construed as admissions of weakness, insufficienty, or ineptitude are avoided, yet are obliquely admitted through symbolic apologies.

I have seen this at the guest house, when a worker has made a rather major mistake, I have looked for an apology or some kind of acknowledgment of fault or regret.  Usually in vain.

An example of a symbolic apology

When constructing, the head carpenter made a major mistake in the pitch of the roof he was building, requiring that wasted time, energy and money be spent to correct the error.  The construction supervisor, let the carpenter know of his displeasure with the situation.  The next morning, the carpenter brought several pineapples to the supervisor’s door.  Nothing was said but the implicit message was: “Let this gift put our relationship back on course.”

Conclusion

Some of these things you learn as you go along in Haiti.  It would have been great to have this book back when we first arrived.  This will sounds strange but the book is very dry and boring to an extentBUT it has fantastic insights into the depths of the Haitian/African culture.  Must read for anyone who is moving to Haiti.

Many Hands for Haiti Store

Many Hands for Haiti is proud to announce the newest project benefiting the people of a Haiti: a store in Spencer, Iowa. The store, Many Hands Market, is set to open in June. The 13,000 square foot store will serve the local economic community with secondhand goods and unique products directly from Haiti. The proceeds from the sales will go towards programs in Haiti. Additionally, the store provides the opportunity for Iowans to be part of the Haiti mission through volunteering, donating and shopping.

“This is exciting because it offers an opportunity for people to be involved in a cross-cultural mission with their time instead of donating money or actually going to Haiti, which is not possible for everyone,” said Christi Gabhart, the manager of the store.

Many Hands Market will draw consumers from Spencer and Storm Lake area where demographics exist to donate, as well as shop, at the store.

The store will carry products such as clothing, furniture, and other house wares.

There will also be a store-within-a store that will sell Solid Ground products. These authentic products are created by Haitians and include jewelry, coffee, paintings, hot sauce, statues and clothing.

Various types of volunteers will be needed to run the store including mechanics, heavy lifters and clothing sorters thus providing an opportunity for every skill set. Gabhart believes this is the perfect volunteer opportunity for those looking for a purposeful experience.

“Americans have an abundance of everything, it is great to clear out clutter and make the excess valuable when their sale generates dollars for a good cause,” said Gabhart.

“Everything about the store is full circle in donating products, buying products from Haiti, donating the money to Haitian programming.”

Located at Highway 71 and Highway 18, the store will occupy a former Ace-Hardware store.

For More Information On How to Volunteer or Give – Click Here

To read the article from the Spencer Daily – Click Here

For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Tim Brand or Christi Gabhart at tbrand@mh4h.org or cgabhart@mh4h.org.

Mission Vision team

Submitted by Sue Den Ouden

On your feet now—applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.
PSALM 100 (MSG)

We give God thanks for the following:
For the sweet aroma of prayers lifted on behalf of each patient and team member.
For every pair of eye glasses pulled that were the perfect pair for that patient. We acknowledge that those fittings were not coincidence, but Divine encounters!
For each patient that received eye surgery.
For each team member who gave time, talent, vacation and resources in response to God's call to serve Him. For each obedient heart.
For laughter, joy and pain in the hard work and exhausting days, ALL for God's glory.

1236 Patients seen
774 Eye glasses dispensed
74 Eye surgeries performed
Each number is a person, a beloved child of God. Thanks be to God for allowing us the privilege to care for their eyes in hope that they can more clearly see Jesus through us. AMEN. It is true.
The Vision Mission Team

Learn Haitian Creole GESTURES with HaitiHub

Hope Church Team Jan 24-31

It was good to be back in Pignon with 15 people making up our work team, 7 are experiencing Haiti for the first time.  The strength of our team comes from diversity of skills, talents, training….which include, teaching, preaching, carpentry, electrical, agriculture, nursing, music, technology, vidoegraphy, and more!  

Our main efforts for the week centered around constructing school desks to be delivered to Guimby, a couple electrical projects around the Iowa House, putting a roof on the new kitchen at Sunshine school, painting at Guimby, painting the hospital kitchen, painting the Mission House next to the MN Dorm, and holding a Leadership Conference for local pastors and church leaders.  Not an idle moment was spent.  Much to be thankful for!

(The following is a journal entry from our week…)

Each day has seemed like a week ...but the week that has come to a close has seemed like a day!

Bonjour from this place of 'contrast',

    The time in Haiti has come to a close for 10 of our team members who boarded the Missionary Flights International plane to make the journey back home...leave Pignon, land in Cap Haitien, Haiti, land in Ft. Pierce, FL to go through customs, shuttle to Orlando, FL to spend the night and return to Omaha, Friday, on Delta Airlines, then the final drive to Spencer or Ames, Iowa. Wednesday evening allowed for time for the whole team to reflect on, process, ponder, and wonder about all that has taken place this week.

     God was working here with us and on us each moment of each day. The days were characterized by original plans being flipped to something different on a moments notice. God was at work. I felt over and over God saying, "your plan would be good but MY plan is perfect, FOLLOW ME." And the team DID just that and God's plans are perfect. The course of each day felt so complete that any one day seemed as like a week....but then at the end of the week it felt like only a day had passed since we arrived in Haiti last Thursday.

    In this place of such extreme poverty and disease the contrasted BEAUTY of the people and the land cannot be described in words. The story a man and a woman trying to survive after a recent house fire that burned everything they owned was unbearable. But amazing things can come of such a situation. A cement block house was built in the same place where the house had burned. Our team had the privilege of putting the roof on that house, securing the house with 2 wooden doors contructed by some on our team, and moving the furnishings into the house on Thursday. The furniture turned out to be a bunk bed frame that was taken from an unused dorm here on the grounds where we are staying. In the interim, before the house was ready, the bunk bed has served as a temporary shelter. After the doors were hung and the bed brought in, the man and his smile transformed the story from unbearable to seeing the Glory of God shine! As a new home owner with a secure place to live the man must have felt like a king himself! See attached photos. 

Five team members remain in Pignon for one more week to continue serving God in this place of contrast. We hope God continues to change our plans and show us the way to FOLLOW Him.

Please receive this benediction….”Franciscan Benediction”

May God bless you with a restless discomfort

about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for

justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer

from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you

may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that

you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able,

with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,

Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word Who is our Brother and Savior,

and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you

and remain with you, this day and forevermore. Amen

Five Loaves Health Developement Accounts

PROMISE FOR HAITI is partnering with FIVE LOAVES to offer families in the north central plateau of Haiti individual Health Develplment Accounts that match individuals and families in the US with individuals and families in Haiti.  Each HDA provides preventative and acute healthcare through the Hospital Bienfaisance in Pignon.  The plan also promotes economic development with mechanisms for micro-finance.  FIVE LOAVESis a Christian non-profit organization that provides a transparent financial interface between donors, missionaries, recipients and service providers to support the medical needs of families in Haiti.

"Whatever you do for the least of these, you do it for me."Matthew 25:40 

WHAT IS A FIVE LOAVES HEALTH DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT?

Very few families in Haiti can afford to pay for their own healthcare, which leaves the hospital in Pignon to cover any costs which cannot be paid.  Services are never denied to those in need, but this cost must be supported by donors and limited USAID dollars.

In Haiti, $200 will pay for health care for one person per year.  Sponsorships are available for  1, 2, 3 or 4 people at a rate of $200 per person, per year.  Health care for families with more than 5 members has been capped at $1,000 per year. Families in Haiti can apply for a Health Development Account and agree to contribute from $1 to $20 per person (up to 5) annually to be enrolled in the program.  It is important for families in Haiti to have a “stake in the program” and also provides ownership and accountability.

 Half of the money invested from the family and the sponsor go directly to the hospital to help defray operating expenses, pay salaries, buy medicine and generally keep the doors open.  The other half goes into a Health Development Account for the family held by a bank in Marion, Iowa.  Only a small percentage is kept for administrative costs and to provide office, salary and supplies for the Five Loaves  Haitian Representative.

When medical expenses occur, the family presents their HDA card at check out and the fee is taken directly out of the family HDA account and wired to the hospital for medical services.  The family also has a “death benefit” of $100 to use for funeral expenses in case of death.

 As funds accumulate over time, the family may qualify to borrow up to 20% against the balance in their HDA account for specific things like education, improving their home, starting a business and buying materials or equipment to improve their business.  A proposal and plan must be submitted and approved by Five Loaves before a loan is available.  One of the first families to sign up was excited about the potential to borrow money to buy a donkey so they could get more crops to market and work more markets for their crops.

 Sponsors, upon completion of the enrollment form and designated level of support, receive a photo of family members, location of the family (GPS coordinates as there are no addresses) and information about the family. The sponsors also receive updates and reports on the use of the HDA account.  Sponsors are given the opportunity to renew their support annually and are encouraged to support the family in prayer.

To download a Five Loaves Health Development Account brochure click here. 

HOW DOES A HEALTH DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT WORK?

1. Families in Haiti apply for a Health Development Account (HDA) with a Five Loaves representative in Haiti. Download the HDA SPONSOR ENROLLMENT FORM

2. Families in Haiti agree to:

• Annual census (name, address, age, occupation, medical history)
• Annual physical at the hospital clinic
• Annual home visit by Five Loaves  staff
• Annual contribution into the family HDA  ($1, $10, or $20 per person for a family up to 5—all family members beyond 5 are included)

3. Five Loaves matches sponsors with recipient families and deposits funds in a dedicated account.

4. Families present their HDA card when released from medical services and expenses for these services are paid directly to the hospital.

5. Up to 20% of each HDA account can be used by the family to collateralize a micro-loan for home improvement, work or education after specific criteria are met and approved.  

6. Sponsors will be sent a photo of their family, as well as information and reports about their HDA recipients use of funds.  Sponsors can visit their family in Haiti if they desire.

7. Sponsors are urged to continually pray for the family they sponsor.

HOW DO I SPONSOR A FAMILY?
Choose your level of support:
     $200    one person family
     $400    two person family
     $600    three person family
     $800    four person family
     $1000  five or more person family

1.   TO PAY BY CHECK
      Download the HDA Sponsor enrollment form and fill out required information.
      Make out check for designated amount to Promise for Haiti and send to
      FIVE LOAVES
      c/o Marion Mixers
      PO Box 286
      Marion, Iowa  52302

2.   TO PAY BY CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL      Click any "Donate" button on the side bar of this page
      Choose "Health Developement Accounts" under campaign
      Fill out required information and submit 

If you have questions contact:

Denny Brand  denny.brand@promiseforhaiti.org

Doug Grunder grunderd@marionmixers.com