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

Where you stay when you Volunteer for Promise for Haiti

(Photos courtesy of Bev Brand) Front view of Minnesota Dorm Roof top of Minnesota Dorm      Dining Area in Minnesota Dorm       Front View of Hospital Dorm            Dining Area in Hospital Dorm

Hospital Forum

To all:

A need was identified need for a central communication tool that could be utilized by all the teams that frequent Pignon.  We have created an easy to use communication tool  that will allow members of the different medical teams to communicate with each other and the staff in Pignon.  SImply click on the following link:  

haiti.aacda.com

The site will appear and on the left side of the screen "Click here to enter the site"  Clicking on it will take you to the Haiti Mission Forum.  Under the top left login screen you will see the following:

Home  Help Search Login  Register

Click on the Register heading and accept the terms of agreement.  It will then take you to the registration form which is self explanatory to fill out.  Once registered you can log into the forum. Trent Munyer CRNA is the administrator of the forum and can create any sub-group that anyone requests.  

The goal is for each team that completes their mission to log into the site and update the next team going to Pignon.  For example, it would be great to know what mechanical problems were encountered or immediate supplies that maybe needed.

Feel free to call or email me with questions at trentmunyer@mac.com 

Thanks, 

Trent Munyer, CRNA

MIDWIFE TRAINING

MIDWIFE TRAINING
Hospital Bienfaisance has trained over 40 men and women to serve as mid-wives in the surrounding communities.
On-going training is provided annually along with kits and supplies for working in the field.  Th
e maternal mortality rate has improved significantly over the years and now stands at 341 per 100,000 mothers die at birth compared to the overall statistics in Haiti of 630 per 100,000.

Promise for Haiti Wish List

Welcome To Promise For Haiti- Link to web site


Promise for Haiti Wish List- Link  to wish list

Your gift, great or small, can make a HUGE difference in saving lives and improving the quality of life in Haiti!  Please consider a generous donation to help us care for the sick, those in great need and      
those who are working so hard to make a positive difference for the 145,000 people who live in the north central plateau of Haiti.

Hospital Medications for one month --- $15,000
Hospital Medications for one day --- $500
Hospital Supplies one month --- $6,000
Hospital Supplies one day --- $200
Nurses' Salary one month --- $500
Doctor's Salary one month --- $2,500.00
Dentist Salary one month - $1,200
Teacher's Salaray one month --- $100
Fuel for generators one month ---$5,000
Fuel for generators one day ---$150
Cholera patient (average 5 day stay) ---$500
Childbirth @ hospital ---$400
Mid-wife training ---$150
Major Surgery --- $1,500
Treatment for Aids patient monthly --- $150
Medical Insurance for a family for one year ---$1,000
Scholarship to attend a primary school --- $100
Scholarship to attend a secondary school --- $290
Scholarship to attend a university --- $6,000 

Dr Marvin Loyd

Dr. Marvin Loyd was presented a plaque at the January Board meeting in Pignon in recognition for helping to bring modern dentistry.

When Dr. Marvin Loyd first went to Pignon in the early 1990s, there was no dental clinic. When people learned that he was a dentist, they lined up to have their teeth pulled because they were in so much pain. He set up chairs under a tree at the farm and pulled teeth from morning to sundown, pulling over 330 teeth in two days. People were so grateful. Their teeth were not only rotten and painful but were a source of infection. Dr. Loyd has helped develop a modern and wonderful dental program that has served thousands of people through the years.

 Dr. Marvin Loyd first learned of the work being done in Pignon from Jay Lawhon, a fellow Arkansan and Methodist. Dr. Loyd met with another volunteer, Dr.Larry Giffin, and they began recruiting volunteers, building a clinic, sending equipment, and training local Haitians to carry on the work year round. Today, Dr. Jim Birong has continued this fine work. It has come a long way since those early days and has become a true blessing. Now, people have their teeth cleaned and cavities filled instead of simply pulling teeth. A dental lab is available. School children are brought in to the clinic for preventive dentistry. Haitians run this program with assistance from US volunteers.A support program has been established so that children have access to care. Last year, the dental clinic served over 6,506 people,4,603 of which were children.   

Dr.Loyd has also helped the people of Pignon in another important way. As a former member of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, Dr.Loyd was able to help obtain vital medicine, supplies, and salary support in the period after the 2010 earthquake. Click here for a link to Dr Loyds Story.

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103934823664-467/Dr.+Loyd%27s+Story.pdf

Visit to the Campbell Orphanage

I typically don't share my Haiti stories on the blog, but I had the privilege of spending almost two weeks in Pignon, first few days at the Board meeting and then a week with my team, The Fargo Medical team. I have shared the story below with my family and coworkers and now with you. 

Love and Music breaks all Language Barriers

Personal experience of Fargo Team member

Lorrie Beauchamp Berg

On Thursday afternoon we finished surgery early so a few of us decided to walk to

the  Campbell Orphanage.  We walked down the paved street until we came to a dirt road at the edge town, we continued down the dirt road for a short time until we came to the path that lead to the orphanage. The path was shaded by trees and had a cactus fence. At the end of the path was a guarded gate. The guard recognized some of the team members who had visited earlier in the week and opened the gate for us.

We continued down a path to a house.  Beside the house were a few

trees that gave shade to a group of children as they played on a

slab of cement, others children were sitting on a picnic table playing cards.

After spending a few moments watching the games that were being played.

A couple of the team members sat down to play cards with one group while other team

 members joined other groups of children and still others went off to tour the orphanage.

I walked over to Jenifer, the mom of these many children and introduced myself to 

her, saying I didn't expect you to remember me because it had been a few years since 

I had been to the orphanage but I explained to her that I was friends with her on Facebook,

that I had been reading about the two small blind brothers whom

they had found almost naked sitting outside a thatch house. I explained to

Jennifer that one of my wishes on for t his trip was to meet those two

little boys and have them sing. 

Jennifer smiled and went and got a little boy sitting in a wheel chair, 
Ellinez and brought him over to where I was standing. She graciously 
asked if I would like to hold him. I said yes while my heart screamed 
YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE . She picked him gently up out of his 
wheel chair and placed him into my arms as I sat

on the picnic table.  As she placed him in my arms, she smiled and 
said I do remember you.  Jennifer then went and got the other brother
Leemonez, and brought him over to us.  He sat on the lap of one of my 
team members then she asked the boys to sing.  They gently reached out for each other

to make sure the other was there then they started singing.  After they

were done singing the little one that was in my lap snuggled  his body

into my arms resting his head against my chest and as my chin rested on

top of his head I slowly started rocking him and humming Amazing Grace

to him. I knew that even though there is a language barrier,

music breaks those barriers. Amazing Grace was a song that was very special

to me , I had heard it, sang it and experienced its power on an other trips to Haiti.  

The more I hummed quietly to him the tighter he snuggled into me until I thought

he was sleeping ( I now believe he was either pretending to sleep so I

wouldn't put him down) There was a small girl that would come over every so often and look at

the two of us rocking on the picnic table. She was a mothering soul and 

would reach up to my cheek and push the strands of my hair that had blown into 

my eyes or face in the breeze, back behind my ear, she would smile at me as she 

did this and then she would go play for a moments, few steps away from us, 

then she would come back and check on us. If a strand of hair had again decided 

to fall into my eyes she would push it again behind my ear.  After humming a few 

songs to him I started humming Hallelujah. The little girl came back to check 

on us, she looked at the small boy in my arms and I could see a look of concern, 

panic and anxiety on her face and I could tell she had no idea what to do as she 
kept looking at the little boy arms and then at me and the little boy again.

 She said something to him in Creole and all he replied

was a ahhaaa.  I looked down at the small boy in my arms he who was

snuggling so close to me I had a lean over him even further to see his

face  and to see if I could tell what was she seeing and what was causing

her to be upset.  When I looked at the small face nestled close to me

I saw that he had tears running down him face.  Which only cause my eyes to

fill with tears for this small boy who’s thoughts I did not know but 

who I had surrounded in as much love as could as I held him. I gentle took his
 hands and placed them on my face so he too could feel a tear that was now on my cheek.

 After exploring my face with his small hands for a moment he snuggled once again
 into me.  We took out one of the team members IPhones, he had the song I had been

humming on his phone. We placed it to his ear, the expression

on his small face was priceless. Before long it was time to start our

journey back to the dorm and I had to place the small body back into

his wheel chair.  In those few short moments our two souls spoke and shared more
than many people speak to each other in a lifetime

Greetings everyone,

I would like to make everyone aware of a new communication tool that is being tried.  The hope is that you will  check it out and register and become a member of this informational forum. 

Trent Munyers, is a CRNA that has been to PIgnon with the Fargo Medical team and has put together a communication board/ web page of information to help US teams communicate with each other in regards to special needs in Pignon.  Things like if there is a shortage of a certain supply or medication or if equipment needs to be repaired.  

Blessings

Lorrie

To all:

A need was identified need for a central communication tool that could be utilized by all the teams that frequent Pignon.  We have created an easy to use communication tool  that will allow members of the different medical teams to communicate with each other and the staff in Pignon.  SImply click on the following link:  

haiti.aacda.com

The site will appear and on the left side of the screen "Click here to enter the site"  Clicking on it will take you to the Haiti Mission Forum.  Under the top left login screen you will see the following:

Home  Help Search Login  Register

Click on the Register heading and accept the terms of agreement.  It will then take you to the registration form which is self explanatory to fill out.  Once registered you can log into the forum. Trent Munyer CRNA is the administrator of the forum and can create any sub-group that anyone requests.  

The goal is for each team that completes their mission to log into the site and update the next team going to Pignon.  For example, it would be great to know what mechanical problems were encountered or immediate supplies that maybe needed.

Feel free to call or email me with questions at trentmunyer@mac.com 

Thanks, 

Trent Munyer, CRNA

Hope/Sunnybrook team experience in Pignon Jan 2013

Submittd by Christi Gabhart 

Another beautiful night and looks like it will be another beautiful day ahead…Monday started out for part of the team going on an early morning walk down to the river to experience an everyday part of Haitian life…washing everything in the river…bodies, hair, clothes, trucks. Back at the dorm, Dr. Guy from the Hospital here in Pignon stopped by to greet everyone. He stated. “You and I are here for the same reason. We are working for the Lord.Whatever we do for the least of these we do for the Lord. When you are here, you are home.” He described some of the work that has taken place in Pignon over the years and continued by saying that job creation is the thing that needs to happen now. He encouraged, “Anyone who wants to come and set up business is welcome.We need jobs.”

Today is Guimby School visit day. We have 2 taptaps ready to roll (vehicles that transport people). We also have bags full of gifts to bring to the students and we are taking paint supplies to brighten up the classrooms. We have 2 good drivers and 3 good translators to help us with the language barrier. As we went “through the river and over the woods” we marveled at the beauty of the mountainous landscape and foliage, donkeys loaded with sugarcane, and the humble dwellings that house so many rural Haitians. We hiked the last stretch of the journey where the route can barely be called a ‘road’.

Our first assignment was to take pictures of the students who are sponsored with an annual scholarship by people from the Spencer area. Things went well after we got a system going. Lunch time came and the students get dismissed one class at a time to walk with their bowls and spoons to the outdoor kitchen where 3 dedicated ladies worked throughout the morning cooking for the 239 students that are enrolled In Guimby school. The time came to get out the bright orange t-shirts that had been brought along, one for each student. A screen print front and center on the shirts says”Bondye Bon” (God is Good). As each student received their shirt, they took the path down to the new Guimby church area that has just be started. What a sight to remember…all those beautiful children wearing the bright orange shirts, sitting shoulder to shoulder waiting to see what would happen next. We greeted the kids then sang a couple songs in Creole…Bondye si Bon (God is so Good),” Annou Lourre Senye Chante” (Praise the Lord Together). Next was a drama based on “The Armor of God”. The kids were engaged and learned about putting on the full armor of God as they live out a life pleasing to God. More singing and then one more gift, socks and pencils in a drawstring bag, as the kids left for home.

One truck, with about half the team members headed back to Pignon to continue some work on the next roof project. The other half stayed at the school to do some stenciling on the walls in the classroom. We first sat down and shared the lunch we had prepared with the translators and taptap driver. After classic PBJ on Haitian bread, raisins, Haitian cookies from the market, and bottled water, we got creative and added some color with stenciled numbers, letters, shapes, stars, planets, etc. to the classroom walls. Even our Haitian translators got involved.

Back ‘home’ we had supper and had another evening rooftop devotion time. The week keeps on building! Each evening it seems like the comments made by team members reflect feelings that each day tops the previous day. Same goes for this day.

Wednesday is the Leadership Conference at Pastor Francios' church. Please add to the prayers of God's people as many Haitian leaders will gather to be encourage in God's word to go out and do God's work. Praying anytime from 8:30-4:00. Praying before and after is good too!

Bondye Bon!! Christi and the team