After three hours of off-road driving and another one hour hike, we reached our final destination in Forte des Pin. Once again, the Lord gave us the honor of being the first American Missionaries to do ministry with these churches. Six churches had come together for a night of revival. The Lord gave Mike the message to preach on emotional healing. There was over 65 people in the alter and about 40 of them had been physically and/or sexually abused in their lives. We watched many of them healed from years of abuse that night! It was a very moving moment to watch the Lord take away years of pain and scars from people’s eyes that night, but HE is faithful!

The Lord has been blessing ReachHaiti Ministries with much fruit, souls being saved, and partnership with new churches. We are currently running 6 weekly feeding programs now. Help us to continue reaching out to the needy of Haiti by becoming a Sponsor-A-Day partner. You can sponsor a full day, half-day, or quarter-day. Please click here to become a partner today or learn more about the program! Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers for the ministry down here!

Wow! God did so many amazing things in the last week through our team from RIO Church! In just a week, the team went into 5 prisons, distributed and traded Bibles for knives, revival services, worked on the first children’s home, and also made over 250 Christmas ornaments! They worked so hard and the Lord brought forth a GREAT harvest through them!

Another thanks to the RIO team who sacrificed their week to come and serve the Haitians and preach the Gospel: Josh Broyles, Charlie Herrell, Emma Herrell, Eddie Tucker, and Pastor Ronnie Hepperly! Over 1,700 people heard the Gospel this week in the prisons and through revival! We appreciate each of you and your hard work! If you would like to partner with us to Reach Haiti with the Gospel or come on a short term trip, please visit our website at www.ReachHaiti.com!

Gabriel during leadership training

“I have received the Holy Spirit and my mission from God,” said Gabriel.

Gabriel is a young man whom I met several months ago while showing the Jesus film in his village. From our first meeting, I knew the Lord had something special for him, but I was not sure what it was at the time. After talking with him for a while we exchanged numbers and parted ways. As i continued to think and pray for him, I was convinced I needed to spend more time with him. After a call, i invited him to come each day and give us Creole lessons.

Just before our unexpected return to the states in June, I received a visit from Gabriel. He had been severally beaten by his family. It reminded me of pictures i had seen of the slaves after being beaten with whips. All across his back, arms, legs, and chest were severe lashes and bruises. He was needing counsel and help. He shared with me how his family had accused him of stealing, but it was not true. His heart was broken over the accusation and was not sure what to do next. I was the third person he had spoken with that day about the issue. He was needing answers. I remember him looking at me and saying, “Michael, I only want peace in my heart.” As we talked further, I told him my words could not give him peace, but we should turn to the Lord Jesus and His Bible to look for the answers. Gabriel agreed, and we took much time that day looking for God’s peace and answers from the scripture. As we were looking at Romans Chapter 10, Gabriel’s heart was heavy. He told me he saw his need to confess his sins and put his faith in Jesus. With tears flowing down his face, he bowed his head and began to pray.

While we were in the states during the month of June, I spent time evaluating the work of the ministry in Haiti. This is some of my thoughts: Although we have 6 churches in our network and things are going well, my heart began to burn with thoughts of raising up a new generation of young people. Many of the young generation are disenfranchised with the church. Many of them attend church, but most have stopped. It is not that they don’t believe; its not that they don’t love the leaders; it is simply no one takes time to listen to them. They are wanting relationships with spiritual fathers and mothers, someone that will listen, take time and answers their questions.

Mike with the new mentor group

Since my return to Haiti, I have began a mentoring group with about 8 young men that I have had a relationship with. They simply love it! Two of them are already starting their own groups in the next few weeks. My prayer is these meetings will turn into a movement of quickly multiplying discipleship groups that reach this generation. I was sharing tonight with the group. When each of them begin their groups, we will have everyone come together once each month for a large celebration service. So I ask you to pray for a movement to begin with these young leaders.

The Haitian Bible School in October 2009

Today, we are also really excited to announce the kick-off of our Haitian Bible School! We had began the school back in September 2009 but were forced to stop due to the earthquake. We are planning to restart it again in September 2010 and have about 30 leaders/pastors ready! Please continue to pray for these groups of men that the Lord will raise up a standard here in Haiti, and they will be and take the Gospel all over the island!

Andrea is still in Tennessee and is available to come and share with any small group, church, Sunday School class, etc. Please email us at ReachHaiti@gmail.com if you would like Andrea to come and speak! Thanks to everyone who helps support this ministry! We are truly grateful for each one of you!

The last week has been very hard for us. After the announcement of Andrea’s pregnancy last Saturday, Andrea began to have problems. After some bloodwork last week, the results came back bad. Andrea returned to the doctor on Wednesday for another ultrasound, but the results were the same: she had lost the babies. Andrea had to have a DNC (a minor surgical procedure) on Thursday afternoon to remove the remaining tissues in her uterus. She returned home and has been resting and recovering. As hard as all this has been, our faith is strong and we know God has a bigger plan. Andrea will be remaining in Tennessee for a couple of months to recover and recuperate from everything. Mike will be returning to Haiti in a few weeks. Sarah has returned to Haiti to manage the ministry until we return. A special thanks to our intern, Ashley, who has stayed and helped in Haiti while we returned to Tennessee.

Two weeks ago, we found out Andrea is pregnant! We are thrilled to be expecting a baby! After the mission trip to the mountains, Andrea began to have some problems and pain. We immediately went to Miami University’s Hospital in Haiti to make sure she and the baby were both ok. They kept Andrea overnight but were not quite sure what was causing the problems. They released her on bedrest for a week and with directions to follow-up in a week. We had our first ultrasound though which was so exciting to see! Another surprise came when they preformed a 2nd ultrasound before we left. They saw two sacs instead of just one! The doctor thought Andrea could be carrying twins!

Per the doctor’s orders, Andrea returned home from the hospital last Friday. Her problems seemed to be getting better through Saturday, but Sunday morning, Andrea began to feel much worse. Her pain continued to intensify over the next few days. Wednesday morning, we returned to the hospital to see a doctor. After a repeated ultrasound and exam, the doctor thought Andrea was trying to pass a kidney stone and it was stressing the babies. The doctor recommended we get on the first flight back to Tennessee for treatment in case she began to hemorrhage or need more medical care that is unavailable in Haiti. We went home, packed our things, and got on the next flight out of Haiti at 5:00 that night.

We landed in Miami and had to get a hotel for the night. We finally made it back to Tennessee at 2:00am Friday morning due to airline delays. Andrea went to the doctor yesterday afternoon for another ultrasound and some testing. The doctor is unsure as to why she is having problems and the ultrasound was unclear. The doctor saw three sacs but believes that only one baby is forming. Please be in prayer for Andrea and the baby. We know God is our healer, and He will take care of her. In the meantime, Andrea is resting much better in Tennessee and will return to the doctor on Friday for another ultrasound. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Mike is here with her and is available to share our Haiti presentation or preach at churches, small groups, etc. Please email us at ReachHaiti@gmail.com if you would like Mike to come and share with your group. Again, thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! Your prayers hold us up and keep us going!

The truck was packed…Our projector, generator, and sound system were loaded ready to show the film…And the eight of us finally left the house at 7:00am Tuesday morning, May 25th ready for a journey to reach out and share the Gospel! Along with Mike and myself, we had Ashley, an intern staying with us, Michele, another missionary, Pastors Jacques and Roman, and our new friend Louis from the village we were headed to called Bellefort. Louis had came to our house a few times telling us of a place here in southeast Haiti who desperately needed to hear the Gospel. On four different occasions, Louis had walked 15 hours across the mountains to reach our home to tell us about his village. No missionaries had ever been there before!

After four hours in the car driving over the most beautiful mountainous landscape imaginable, we arrived in Jacqmel. Jacqmel is a beautiful city located on the southeast coast at the base of the mountains we were about to cross. After the scenic drive through Jacqmel, we crossed a large river and started up the rocky road up the mountain.

After 5 long hours of traveling the dirt and rock roads up and through the mountains, we came to a stop in a small village. Being up in the clouds, the rains had started, and we were forced to stop due to the road conditions. We found a small church in the village and met with the pastor. It would also be dark soon so we needed to find a place to sleep. Although we were still an hour from our original destination, the Lord wanted us to stop here. The temperature had dropped dramatically since we left home and was probably in the low 60’s now. We settled into the church to get out of the rains and the cold. The pastor was so excited to have us as his guests and announced to the village that we would have a service in an hour. We set up our equipment to show the Jesus Film, and the people came quickly. When it was dark, we started the film and had around 100 people come into the church to watch it. After the film was over, we had a few people receive salvation. Mike began to preach and people ran to the alters for prayer. Most of the people knew Jesus but were hungry for his presence and power! We prayed over them all for healing, deliverance, and salvation. It was an amazing night!

Once the service was over, we were all exhausted and ready for bed. Being so cold, we all bundled in all the clothes we had brought leaving our fashion looking a little funny. As we began making our beds from the mats and blankets the pastor brought us, we noticed something funny…Most of the church were also making up beds in the church with us! We asked the pastor what was going on and he said they all wanted to keep us company for the night. So, we went to bed with at least 50 other people in the church! We all got a good laugh out of it.

The rains had set in leaving us no choice but to leave the next morning and head back home. We are making plans to return soon and make it to our original destination but will probably make another stop at the church on the mountain. The people are beautiful and kind. They were so happy that we would make the long journey just to see them. They prepared some wonderful food for us as well and did everything they could to make sure we were comfortable there. It was an honor to be with them, and we are looking forward to our next journey back!

Although the 9 hour ride wasn’t ideal, the Lord has called us to go and share the Gospel! It’s our passion to reach those who haven’t heard before. We praise the Lord for a safe trip and for our new truck which has made these journeys possible! A special thanks to Middlesettlements United Methodist Church for holding a fundraiser which helped us purchase and receive this truck and our other supporters. Without it, crossing this island wouldn’t be possible!

ReachHaiti Church of Leogoane is a beautiful place. The church is built from wood stripes and is located in the deep, dense vegetation with banana and coconut trees all around. Mike preached last Sunday morning at the church. After the service, we loaded 18 people in the truck and were heading to the small river about a mile from the church to hold a baptism service. When we arrived, several people had walked to support the new believers’ public testimony of receiving Christ. Most of the people being baptized were over 40 years old.

This baptism was especially close to our hearts because our oldest girl, Marie Flores, was also baptized. She had come to us a few weeks ago and asked if she could be baptized. She had received Christ several months ago but was learning what it meant to walk with the Lord daily. We were ecstatic at her request and took her to be baptized in Leogoane. It’s so awesome to watch the Lord work in each child that lives in our home and for them to each understand and know the Lord as their personal savior.

When a person submits to baptism is Haiti, it can be a very difficult time in their life. Since most people in Haiti come from a Catholic/voodoo background, many times, it means persecution from their family and friends. The Catholic church in the States is much different than the Catholic church in Haiti. Almost all voodoo practitioners in Haiti are also Catholic. When a person submits to baptism, it is the official renunciation of their former belief system. That means many of them are turning their backs on their family and heritage and leaving voodoo behind.

It was a great day for the congregation and for ReachHaiti ministry. We baptized 7 people in Leogoane and the ReachHaiti Church of Sarthe baptized 10 people. Since Easter, we have had over 20 baptized! What an honor it is to see the new believers growing in the Lord. Thank you all for your prayers and support to make this work happen.

Marilyn: May 12, 2010

Just four months ago, before the earthquake, the Lord brought a precious surprise into our lives: Marilyn. When we first received her, she weighed only 14 pounds and was two and a half years old. We were stunned at her condition. She looked like a skeleton rather than a baby. Marilyn spent a week in a hospital and returned to our home the morning of January 12, 2010. As you all know, a few hours after we got home from the hospital, the earthquake hit. Marilyn was in my arms during the whole event. As her condition deteriorated over the next weeks, she was rejected from 4 hospitals due to the overcrowding caused by the quake. No one would even consider treating her. We didn’t know if she would make it or not…

However, God stepped in and finally got her accepted into a great children’s hospital here in Haiti. Now look at her! It’s amazing to see the pictures of her just 4 months ago. She has come alive!

Marilyn: January 12, 2010

This was Marilyn when we first got her. We knew she had a severe protein deficiency called Kwashkior’s disease but later found out she also had Tuberculosis. We consulted another ministry in Haiti who helped children with this disease, but we still weren’t sure if it could be reversed. Her chances were not good and the odds were against her.

Marilyn is from a village just outside Dini. Her family was very poor and unable to provide for her. She was also born with a club foot leaving her unable to walk. As she grew older, she became more of a burden to her parents. They couldn’t tell us the last time she had eaten. All we could do was pray and leave her in the Lord’s hands.

After 4 failures, Marilyn was accepted into St. Damien’s Children’s Hospital here in Haiti. During this time, we had also spend numerous hours trying to get her an emergency medical visa to the US with no success. The hospital did a wonderful job on her treatment. They diagnosed her TB and began treatments immediately. She has spent the last 3 months in their care.

Mostly due to the starvation, Marilyn is also behind developmentally. She is just now learning to speak and crawl. She has come a long way in a very short amount of time, but there’s still more for her. The doctors will need to do surgery in the near future for her club foot so she will be able to walk. They have been casting her foot to stretch it back into normal position but have stretched it as far as it can go now.

Even as I look at her now, it’s so hard for me to believe that she is the same baby I held through the quake. She has almost doubled her body weight in just a few months. She is also talking now, crawling, and laughing. Marilyn is a fighter. That’s what has kept her alive through all this. She is still a very needy child and will require a lot more than most kids, especially some extra TLC. She is still in diapers and on medications daily.

I want to say a special thanks to everyone who has been involved in the care, help, and hard work to get baby Marilyn to where she is today. A special thanks to an intern who spent almost two months staying with Marilyn at the hospital. Marilyn does not have a monthly sponsor yet. We are needing at least 2 sponsors for her to continue her medical care and for her baby supplies. You may also make a one-time donation on our website to help us with Marilyn’s expenses. We are so happy to have her back home! She has a chance to start over and enjoy her childhood! When I look at her, I am reminded every time about the love of God and His provisions. Marilyn is a living miracle!

Our New Property

We are VERY excited to announce that we have closed on the property, and all the paperwork is final! The land is around 2.5 acres and is located in a village called, Gidon. Gidon is about 20 minutes from our house now and is just below the mountains outside the city.

We have big plans for the property! We plan to build a new orphanage, a small medical clinic, a mission house, and rebuild the existing school. The new orphanage will allow us to take in many more children in need and provide a new home for them! The property plans will all be divided into 3 phases which we will post more about soon.

This is the former school on our property. It was closed after the earthquake due to damages. The roof was just built and is still in good condition but the walls will need to be repaired and/or rebuilt. This school will be a big blessing to the ministry. In addition to educating our kids, we will also be able to offer education to the community children who may not be able to afford school.

In the future, we also plan to use the school for other things such as English classes, computer classes, and our Bible School in the evenings. We hope to be able to help this small community by educating the children and adults so they can find jobs and receive more opportunities for their future.

Please continue to pray for us specifically for wisdom, finances, and favor to make all these plans a reality! The Lord has given us a great vision for this land, but we need all of you to help us get there! If you would like to be involved in helping us rebuild, send us an email or visit our website! www.ReachHaiti.com

There are several ways you can partner with us to accomplish this vision: donate to our building expenses, host a fundraiser, bring a team to help us build, and many more! If you would like more information, please email us at ReachHaiti@gmail.com.

Most lost family, all lost friends. This was the case for many Haitian people after the quake. In 30 seconds, their lives were changed forever, as was ours. No water, no gasoline, no electric, all their clothes trapped beneath rubble. Where do you turn for help when you have so little to begin with? Hope is gone unless Jesus steps in. We didn’t have the means to help anyone. It was all we could do to help the 23 children that we care for everyday. But you began to send us resources, and we went to work quickly. As a result, the following took place: 9,954 Hot Meals Served 9,900 Bulk Meals distributed TOTAL: 19,954 meals given to hungry people! Jesus said, “When I was hungry you gave me food”! The Haitian people were hungry and the church in America stepped up. Thank you in Jesus’ name!

To continue to help feed the hungry in Haiti, we are very excited to announce the birthing of 2 new feeding programs starting Sunday morning, April 11, 2010! We have had great success with our current feeding program at our church on Santo 25. Not only has it helped feed many hungry people in our community, but it has also helped with the growth of the church. The Lord has now provided for us to begin 2 more feeding programs in 2 more of our churches: Pastor Jacque’s church in Sarthe and Pastor Hubert’s church on Santo 19. Both churches are currently averaging about 75 people each Sunday morning.

Thank you for helping make this work possible! Without all of you supporting us each month, we wouldn’t be here!