Newsletters

May 09, 2008 Newsletter (pdf format)

March 17, 2008 Newsletter (pdf format)

December 12, 2007 Newsletter (pdf format)

November 21, 2007 Newsletter (pdf format)

October 24, 2007 Newsletter (pdf format)

September 21, 2007 Newsletter (pdf format)

August 10, 2007 Newsletter (pdf format)

Dear Friends, Sponsors, and Supporters of Life Connection Mission:

Life Connection Mission is a ministry designed to bring our Haitian neighbors to a connection with Jesus Christ through spiritual, medical, educational, and humanitarian services.

Our goal is to provide a quality education, from preschool through high school, to produce responsible productive graduates, and to improve their lives through various ministries, headquartered in the village of Montrouis, Haiti. In addition the mission plans to create a business and technical school to help prepare students for advanced careers. In order to meet this mission, we plan to do the following:

1. Minister to the general needs of the community. 2. Administer College Education Excellence and sponsorship program for the school. 3. Provide a feeding program at the school. 4. Partner with medical missions. 5. Build homes. 6. Host incoming groups that wish to visit and help with the ongoing needs of Haiti.
Our last several trips have been aimed at taking steps that would assure that all sponsored children would have the best school in Montrouis. We have reduced the size of the classes. We have added teachers. We are improving the feeding program with more varied and nutritious meals. Beginning late December or early January we are going to add a second story onto the school building. This will allow us to do several things. First, we will be able to expand the size of the cafeteria. Second, we will be able to add more classrooms. The additional classrooms will make possible for us to have more children attend school during the morning hours and allow us to extend the length of the school day. We are scheduling more “on-location” time for our directors and others to insure the school and other projects run as efficiently as possible. We pledge to keep you, the sponsor, informed about your sponsored child. We will continue to host groups that are willing to come and serve in Montrouis.

We are excited about the future of LCM. We have organized our board so that it will continue and thrive for years to come. To make this happen, we need your continued support. We need you to make a commitment, as we have, to make sure the children and people of Montrouis have a greater opportunity in life. Please, rest assured that these people do love and appreciate you. Their life is not easy. We will not even try to explain the hardship that most live under. Please, help us as we serve those in Montrouis.

We would like to thank everybody who donated school supplies, clothes, shoes, toys, hats, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and medical supplies. BUILDING PROJECT:

An important goal for now and future years is to bring down class size to improve the learning environment for all our students. One way this is being addressed is to add a second floor to the building. We will be moving the cafeteria from the first to the second floor. This will free up space on the first floor to add a classroom. Additional uses for this space will be to serve as a room for a technical, cooking and sewing school, and a conference room. As a conference room it could be used for special meetings by clergy or for youth programs and teacher meetings. During our last trip Pastor Pierre Gesner Fedelus and Pastor Emile Daniel expressed the need for a space like this to help address the needs of both the church and the school. This project is scheduled to begin December 26, 2007. Currently, we have raised over $17,061 of the $22,687 needed to complete this project. If you would like to contribute toward this project, please designate on your check “Building Project”. 100% of these funds donated will go directly towards this project.

Breakdown of Cost Estimate: Masonry Cost: $ 6,900.00 Carpentry Cost: 5,100.00 Iron Metal Cost: 3,433.00 Plumbing & Electrical: 1,099.00 *Propane Ovens & Tanks: 3,230.00 Tables and Shelving: 1,200.00 Tile floor installation: 1,725.00 Total Project Cost: $22,687.00 *The Propane Ovens & Tanks have already been purchased by the raised funds stated.
FUTURE PLANS FOR THE SCHOOL: Soon, a generator will be installed. Additionally, electric fans and lights will be added to each of the classrooms. This will allow school hours to be extended - without fans, the classrooms are too hot in the afternoon to hold classes. If you would like to contribute toward this project, please designate on your check “Fans & Lights”. 100% of these funds donated will go directly towards this project.

SPONSORS NEEDED: The best way for our school to grow is to find sponsors for all the children in the area of our school who want to attend. We currently know of over 150 children in desperate need of a sponsor. In order to be as successful as possible at completing our mission, all of us need to challenge ourselves to try and get new sponsors. All current sponsors have clearly demonstrated a personal commitment. We all need to go the “extra mile” to recruit new sponsors. Anyone who has sponsored a child knows, first-hand, the warm feelings that come from helping a disadvantaged child. Share that gift with a friend. If you know someone else who is interested in sponsorship, please send us the enclosed sponsorship form and we will get you a picture and information about that child right away.

WHERE YOUR SPONSPORSHIP MONEY GOES: Your sponsored child receives full tuition, two uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, a nutritious meal, every school day (sometimes their only meal of the day), and medical treatment. All money collected from sponsorship is used for the direct benefit of the children. No board member is paid for their time or personal expenses.

Many people have generously paid sponsorship several months in advance, so that we can get the school year started, but funds are tight right now. We understand due to various reasons sometimes sponsors fall behind in their giving, but every sponsor is important to the children, and they need your continued support. Please don’t worry if you’ve been unable to keep up in the past. We are starting with a clean slate. These children are depending on us. Your support is greatly appreciated.

NEW MINISTRY PARTNER: During the July trip, Dale, Jean, and Peggy Moyers, were joined by Deborah Ransmeier, a minister from Silver Spring, Maryland. While there, she shared this traditional Haitian prayer at the church:

Senyè, Si n'ap viv jodi a malgre siklòn, grangou, ak maladi, nou dwe di, "Mèsi, Senyè. Nou genlè la pou yon bi."

Translated: “Lord, if we are alive today in spite of hurricanes, hunger, and sickness, we should say, ‘Thank you, Lord. We must be here for a purpose.’"

Deborah also wrote the following thought and asked that we share it with all of our readers. “God told us to spread the gospel in all the world. When people know who God is, they share his word with others, which in turn will help lead them to Christ. People live what they learn; they will become well-balanced and complete. They will not only help themselves, but they will be supportive to others which will help the community to be developed spiritually, socially, economically and academically.”

Since returning to Maryland, she has found sponsors for 53 children. Thank you, Deborah!

COME TO HAITI: We would love to host you if you want to come to Haiti. You can visit your sponsored child, help at the school, assist in medical clinics, minister in the community, or any other project you are interested in. Airfare to Haiti is very reasonable and the cost per day for transportation, meals, and lodging while in Haiti is only $40 a day. We welcome groups up to 20 people. Both traditional Haitian and American meals are prepared for our guests.

Currently, Jean, Deborah, Dale, and Peggy will be returning to Haiti on December 24th. Jean for 8 weeks, Dale and Deborah for 5 weeks, and Peggy for 3 weeks. Steve is scheduled to return to Haiti on January 3rd and will stay for about eight weeks. We have several other teams that will be joining us during this period. Please look to future newsletters to check on the activities that have and will take place. HOUSE BUILDING PROJECT: In 2004, a little girl named Lansey was flown to Missouri to have surgery to treat polyps that had grown in her esophagus which required her to have a tracheotomy. This was obviously not a great situation for her, given the sanitary conditions she was living in at home. Since then, her health continues to improve and she is doing well in school. But, she and her mom still live in very poor conditions in a rented house (a generous characterization). Through the generosity of the friends and family of Hugh and Doris Steele, memorial gifts, following their passing, are going towards building a new house for Lansey and her mom. The cost of constructing a house in Haiti is $4000. We have received just over $2000, so we are just past the half way mark. All donations designated “Lansey” will go directly to building this house.

MEDICAL DOCTORS / HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: We are happy to assist any medical teams, doctors or other health professionals that would like to come to Haiti. Currently, we have met twice with an organization called HEARTT. They have expressed interest in sending a medical team down to Haiti sometime next summer. If all goes well, they will then plan on sending groups down to Haiti on an ongoing basis. HEARTT is an organization funded by physicians and nurses for the purpose of providing healthcare treatment, education, training, seminars, and counseling in impoverished communities.

NEWSLETTER/MAILING EXPENSE: We need to keep overhead expenses down. We can do this, in part, by using plain paper for all correspondence. We would also like to e-mail newsletters, to those with internet access, to cut unnecessary postal expenses. If you would like to receive your newsletter by e-mail, please send your e-mail address to: diane@lifeconnectionmission.org.

GET INVOLVED: If you are involved in an organization or church group that might be interested in joining this effort, please contact Diane at 660-359-5682 or email her at diane@lifeconnectionmission.org.

Mailing address: Life Connection Mission 23 Grey Pebble Court Germantown, MD 20874 Startling World Bank statistics about Haiti: • GDP per capita of US$450 • 78 percent of the population live below the US$ 2/day line, with 54 percent in extreme poverty (less than a US$ 1/day); • Life expectancy is 52 years; • Infant mortality rate is 76 out of 1,000; • Nearly half the population is illiterate (approx. 47%); • Highest incidence of HIV/AIDS outside of Sub-Saharan Africa (5.6 percent); and • 97 % deforestation.

Newsletters

Sponsorship Form in pdf format