For those of you who know Vogly (our Haitian interpreter) — well he is getting married.  He met Ermante Merzuis in BeauChamp.  She is a member of the church and is also in Teresa’s sewing program.  Well the ‘ole love bug bit and it bit hard.  We seldom see him unless he has to be working!  Guess where he is at?

Vogly and Ermante have nothing to get started.  It is our hope and prayer that they can have a nice wedding (they plan to do a small one).  They want to get married at the beginning of July but like most young couples, money is an issue.  We would like for them to have one night in a motel for a honeymoon and then things to help them set up house — a bed, a table, chairs, cooking utensils, etc.  

Hopefully Vogly’s house will be completed by the end of summer.  This will be on the property here in BeauChamp at our campus.  

Anything you could do to help them out would be greatly appreciated.  Please send your donations to the following and designate for Vogly’s wedding.  We will then get the funds to them as quickly as possible.  

Mike Grant

c/o Tonya Frenier

10481 Moss Rose Way

Orlando, FL  32832

When I first bought Belle back in October of 2008 I was told that she was pregnant with a mule and that she would deliver somewhere between March and April 2009.  Well only part of that was right.  She did end up being pregnant but did not deliver until June 13th.  And, she had a baby colt instead of a mule.  I have waited and waited for her to have this baby.  I began to think that she was not pregnant but at times I thought I saw the baby inside of her move.  

Well — finally we have a baby colt.  His name is Bolt.  I would really love to get close to him but Belle will not have that.  She is super protective and will whip her butt around to kick you or lunge at you with her teeth ready to bite.  She has got Mike and I both (just barely) with her teeth on our shoulder.  I cannot wait to pet him.  I thought I was through raising baby horses when I had C.J.  I had to sell her to move to Haiti so I guess that God is blessing me again with this beautiful animal.  I watched him this afternoon just being a baby — he was running and jumping — just playing.  I love to watch them play!  Check out my Facebook for more pictures!

We could not have asked for a better group to start the summer off with than these two groups.  You would have never known that there were two groups there because they meshed as one group.  From the very beginning the unity between them was evident.  They came with a specific thing in mind — to serve God and the Haitian people — and they did this extremely well.  They did not let the rain or mud dampen their spirits.  We still accomplished everything that was planned.  

Who said it “never rains in BeauChamp?”  It started to rain in the area the day before we got there and it continued to rain almost everyday this group was here.  Mike and I could barely cross the river on the 4-wheeler on Saturday to come home.  The group arrived a few hours later in the bus and one of the trucks.  We were very happy to see them because we were not sure that they could make it without getting stuck.

Thank goodness the ministry center was complete so we could eat, have our devotions, do the Gran Moun party and break-out sessions for the teens — all out of the rain.  What a blessing.  But there was a lot of mud.  

This group held a VBS and helped to build benches for the church at LaPlaine.  There was a party for the Gran Moun.  The first Youth Retreat was held here in BeauChamp with 8 churches attending.  A computer was brought in for the community school and Sara helped to teach them the basics in working with it.  Several suitcases of school supplies was also given to the principal.  There were 8 pair of goats given out as well.  As you can see, this was a very busy group.  Thank you Huntsville Christian Church and First Christian Church of Merritt Island for serving in Haiti with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission and BeauChamp.

Just to let you all know we are back at the main mission in St. Louis du Nord, very tired and ready for bed.  Tomorrow we will be heading to BeauChamp.  Travel days are always so long but it is so good to be back. 

How wonderful it was to see Dave and Sue Gagnon (the goat lady!) last week.  Dave had ask us to come by and enjoy a little bit of North Carolina.  Well — we did and we loved it.  Of course, you know Mike and I and how we both love the beach.  We walked along the beach, was able to wake up to the sound of the waves pounding onto the shore and enjoy the evening on the beach with a full moon.  That never goes out of style for us.

We were able to eat dinner with Dave, Sue, Tim, Wayne and his wife Sharon and Elizabeth (a young lady coming into Haiti for the first time this summer.)  We got an update on the boat for the bay.  Wow, how great it is going to be to have a boat to travel in — from the Bay to St. Louis du Nord or to the island of Tortuga or even to Mole-Saint Nicholas!  God does so many amazing things — it is just great to be a part of it.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”  Epehsians 3:20a  (NASB)

Don Driving the “caddy” in during the preaching! 

Mike and the “Red Baron”

Our time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is always a time that we look forward to.  Our partnership was truly ordained by God.  We had mentioned the need for another 4-wheeler and boy did they jump on that.  Mike and I were totally surprised when Sunday morning as Mike got up to preach and all of the sudden the side doors open and out drives “Don - The Red Baron” with a new ATV to help spread the gospel in the Far West.  This is such a blessing and we are so thankful.  They even raised the funds to ship it!

Mike had always promised me a sport car / red convertible by the time I was 50 — Well, now I have one and he said the great news was he didn’t even have to pay for it.  God is Good.  So I guess you know by now whose 4-wheeler this is.  Teresa’s Red Cadillac - ‘My ‘lil Pony’. 

I know I have not written for almost 2 months now.  I would say that I am a slacker but that really is not the case.  We were so busy from January to April 21st when we flew home that blogging seemed to always be on the back burner because there were so many other responsibilities.  Between the groups, Mike’s teaching and preaching responsibilities, my sewing group and teaching and then getting sick — well that is how 2 months can go by and you do not even have time to blog.  

We are back in the states until June 5th.  We are traveling for the next 4 weeks — from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tallahassee, Florida and then back to central Florida.  We are still going to be very very busy but I have an agenda to put all of the new stuff on the blog before we return to Haiti.  There has been so many good things happening.  God is in the fast lane and we have been trying to keep up.  

Now we are trying to get some “quiet time” with God and ourselves to regroup.  Please pray for Mike and I as we travel and represent Northwest Haiti Christian Mission and try to visit our family.  

Love,  Teresa

Yes I know that Christmas was December 25th — but for the children in BeauChamp it was March 1st.  Decatur Christian Church in Decatur, Alabama and Southside Christian Church in Sarasota, Florida made this happen.  They packed all their gifts for the children and sent them to the mission warehouse in Kentucky but the containers did not arrive until January and February so Christmas was March 1st.  

We cannot say thank you enough.  There were so many gift bags — they were all labeled as to boy or girl.  Wow, how much easier that made it for me.  I spent the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before getting everything ready.  We never have rain in BeauChamp and I set everything up on the roof so I could be out of the way and guess what — yes, it rained.  I had to cover things up, bring them back inside and do that 3 times.  But finally, Sunday afternoon I was finished with all the labeling.  

We definitely want to thank our Haitian staff who help us with so much.  Odenis and T-Poppa gave us all the children’s names, ages and sex so we were able to label all the bags with the children’s names before the party.  Actually I was trying to be organized!  They helped us decorate, handle crowd control, give the gifts out and even clean up.  What a blessing it is to have them working with us.  Here is Mike with Odenis and T-Poppa.  They are making great church leaders!

Now for the Party!  We had chocolate-chip cookies, brownies, candy and juice.  We told them the story of the birth of Christ.  The reasons gifts are exchanged.  We sang some songs, passed out the gifts, had our snack and then watched the film “Jesus” in creole.  Everyone had a fantastic night.  It did not end until 11:00 p.m.  Mike and I were exhausted.  I think it took us 2 days to recuperate.  We handed out 120 bags for the children.  We had approximately 250 people there.  We gave washcloths, soap and shampoo to the adults.  We are so thankful to be in this place at this time.  God is doing a great work here using His people here and in the United States to accomplish His will.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  

When we originally planned to come to Haiti one of my main focuses was to help start churches and to train leaders.  The first year found us traveling to the Far West and preaching as we started churches and adopted some struggling ones.  We stayed in tents and in Haitian homes as our house and church were being built in BeauChamp.  In the summer of 2008 we were finally able to move into our home in BeauChamp where I would finally be able to begin my training seminars in the Far West.  The summer found us busy with groups and the fall dealing with the aftermath of the two hurricanes.  In November I was finally able to teach a short seminar on the Book of Phillipians but because of the hurricane situation we had very few in attendance. 

January 2009 came and finally the dream started to come true.  You can see from the pictures below that in February we had our pastor’s planning session for the year.  It was very exciting to have everyone together and see the plans being made to reap a harvest in 2009.   

At the present time we have 18 revivals planned on the west side of the river for 2009, 3 new church plants planned for the far west and one on the island of Tortuga. This is not counting the women’s conferences, youth retreats and the revivals on the east side, which should be at least 7.

(Please pray for the Lord of the harvest to reap a great harvest for His kingdom in 2009.)

 You will also see a few pictures of my “Acts” class where we have been averaging 24 leaders from our Far West Churches.  It is a great time of teaching, fellowship and sharing.  It is nice to see what I came to do come to fruition as we help equip leaders to minister to their churches and communities.  The Acts seminar, God willing, is just the first of many.    

Below are some of our preachers and Far West leaders.  Please take time, when you think of it, to lift these men up in your prayers as they labor under very difficult situations in Haiti.

The Proclaimer – an amazing tool for the Haitian pastors and those seeking to hear God’s Word.  This small box has the Old and New Testament recorded in the language of Creole.  This device can be charged by solar or by electrictricity which makes it very portable and very useful.  Many of the Haitians cannot read so it is very valuable for them  – this enables them to hear God’s Word in their own language.  God’s word is powerful — it has the ability to change lives, to penetrate the deepest hurts, to shine so that  the darkness of Satan must flee.  In a country where voodoo is so prevalent — only the power of God’s word can change the lives of the people and the country of Haiti.

Romans 10:17    “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Interview with Odenis about The Proclaimer 

Click the link above to watch and hear this interview.

Vogly, Odenis and Mike with the Proclaimer.  Odenis

is giving a testimony as as to how much The Proclaimer

has meant to him.

Pastors , Midellien, Bazile and Jean Claude

receiving a Proclaimer.

Odenis showing the pastors how to use The Proclaimer.

Mike and Tipicon.  This is a gentleman in the BeauChamp

Community.  He has a little store than Mike and I like

to go to.  They always get a laugh when Mike and I try 

out our new creole “phrases” on them.  He heard The Proclaimer

when one of our church leaders was playing it and wanted to

know if he could have one for himself.  We could not give him

his own but we are lending it to him for a couple of weeks

and then it will go on to the next person.  They are very excited to

be able to hear God’s Word spoken in their language.

God’s Word is powerful when spoken.  

“It Is Written”

“The word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Hebrews 4:12