Many have been asking what we are doing now. You may have noticed that we have had no photos of actual clinic construction on our website for about 6 months. We have been patiently awaiting God's leading and timing. It seems appropriate that at the celebration of our Lord's birth, we announce a "birth" of sorts for Haiti Health Ministries.
God has led us to purchase land and begin anew just down the road from Christianville in the town of Reserve. We have made a down payment on a piece of land 3.8 acres in size. It is on a plain and is the high point of the area with a gorgeous view of the mountains.
This is a much bigger undertaking than we had planned, but God is asking us to join Him on a pathway that will stretch our faith and build the ministry faster than we would have done on our own. We hope you will join us in this exciting undertaking as we seek God in redefining Haiti Health Ministries.
Caleb Lapp is our new construction boss and he will be the driving force behind all the work. He is still making block for us at our current site, as we have sold much of our previous block to Christianville for their school construction project.
Caleb estimates 2 years to build all that we will need to complete the project. We will begin soon with the drilling of a well on the site. Soon after a perimeter fence will go up and the clinic construction will begin.
Please continue to hold HHM up in prayer as our board makes decisions that affect this process and for Caleb as he carries out the plan. We also need prayer for the finances that will pay for this undertaking.
This is a much larger project than we initially anticipated and will take more money to complete. If you desire to donate to specific items or the construction in general please go to our website to use Paypal or send a donation to:
HHM
PO Box 175
Girard, KS 66743
Application for Public Health Department and NGO status
In anticipation of the new site, we started applying with the Haitian government for our department of public health status. We have completed the process and expect our paperwork to arrive soon.
We have also applied to the government for a temporary NGO status. This will allow us to purchase the land, as well as all vehicles, in HHM's name. It will also allow us to bring in shipping containers through Customs and thus receive items from the US that cannot be purchased here in the country or at a cost that is much less than imported goods. The application we have completed will last for 6 months and we are already working on the lengthier form for permanent status that is renewed annually.
Pray that this process will be completed and we will complete both applications in a timely manner. The election problems are slowing things down.
Christ's Gift for Us
Many of you celebrate the birth of Christ in the giving of gifts to friends and loved ones at this time of year. We do this in memorial of the wonderful gift God gave us in His only Son who lived and died that we might find an escape from a life of slavery. To accomplish this He sent His Son to be born a little baby, helpless, in the hands of poor youngsters in Israel, to be brought up a Jew in a nation ruled by the Roman empire. Jesus gave us an example of how God hopes we will live. He died to purchase forgiveness for our disobedient actions and thoughts. For those of us that have received this gift, it is an indescribable blessing. There is no way we can ever repay this gift.
It is out of gratitude for this gift that we serve our Savior in Haiti. Our top priority is to share God's gift with Haitians who come to His clinic. 96 made professions of faith in Christ this year receiving His forgiveness and eternal life as a result. In addition, we work to alleviate the suffering of both Christian and non Christian alike in our vicinity. We treated over 26,000 patients this last year, with over 30% completely free.
This year has been a really difficult one as we went from being homeless, to enduring a hurricane and cholera, to a decision to rebuild in another location. We hope to build a clinic that will last for years to come, that will stand the pressure of future earthquakes and hurricanes, and will be there in disastrous times to help the poorest in the world find both physical and spiritual health. We hope you will join us in this venture as we seek and find God's path for how Haiti Health Ministries can best serve Him in Haiti.
Your Gift for Haitians in Need
Here are the first items we need in our construction project. The land has already been donated to HHM but we will be needing the following items soon. We are seeking in kind donations as well, so anyone with contacts that could provide these items please contact us or Caleb.
jim-sandy@wilkins.net
cll.mtnhomesconst@live.com
Dump truck to haul block, sand, cement, etc $45,000
Concrete mixer $ 6,300
Laser level $ 800
Well drilling $ 5,000
Chain link fencing (security perimeter) $18,000
Concrete blocks, each $ 1
Driveways/gravel/parking area $ 3,000
Mig welder and wire $ 3,000
But when fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Gal 4:4-5
Merry Christmas,
Jim and Sandy