Lifeline Christian Mission

Here is just a little bio on the missionaries we are working with to build the house for Jennifer Rose and her family.  These people are amazing.  How do I know?  I've been there three times serving on the mission and being amazed by the servant hearts of the American missionaries and Haitian people.

Lifeline has been stationed in Grand Goave, Haiti, since it was founded in 1980.  They have grown exponentially in the last 33 years.  I personally believe that God has blessed the work that these people do because they are passionately and courageously committed to being the loving arms of Jesus to people who need Him desperately.

I cant summarize the stats any better than Lifeline's own website, so here is an excerpt:

Today Lifelines has 26 Christian churches and 33 House churches spread across the four countries, three healthcare facilities, and 14 Christian schools in Haiti and Honduras, that educate 11,000 students, with over 3,500 kids sponsored through Lovelink. Over 500 people participate in work trips per year, over 200 homes have been constructed in Haiti since 2003, and over 45,000 people are impacted daily through the Nutrition programs. Lifeline is also expanding with work near Winslow, Arizona with Navajo Trails and in Canada, as well as taking the ABC food program to other countries beyond Haiti. While Lifeline has done great work to help people throughout four countries and is working to continually expand, it is only by the grace of God that these missions succeed.

And these facts and numbers obscure the individuals who have dedicated their lives to loving others in these needy places.  Founders Bob and Gretchen Devoe hide between the lines of the organizations description.  They  
have celebrated 50 years of marriage and have an amazing testimony.  They are planning their first sabbatical (translation for the non churchy types; VACATION) in 33 years.  

During my three trips I was able to deliver supplies to families with new babies, praying over them and their families, visit the sick and spend time loving them and praying for them, work in the clinic on-site providing medical and dental care.  And yes, i did actually provide dental care.  I performed a dental extraction, under the direct supervision of a dentist of course.  I pulled a tooth.  Its not fancy.  I got to help with the nutrition clinic, screening little ones who qualified for supplementation, which nearly all who came to us.  Those that didn't qualify were also malnourished, just not to the degree of the others and resources are always limited.  

Most memorably I got to attend church with these people who sang their hearts out for hours.  This is not an exaggeration.  They sing at the top of their lungs, for long periods.  Us softies are passing out in the heat, but these people cannot stop singing because their hearts are so full of gratitude for what the Lord has done for them.  They come with empty bellies, bare feet and their tattered Sunday best and they are so filled with hope that they cannot contain themselves to sit down for the sermon.  Its like nothing else.  Contagious too.  I myself don't speak too much Haitian creole, but i just had to join in and belt it out.  

The joy of these people touched a need that we all have that is so much greater than a full belly or four walls.  And yet they hunger and stay in need.  How could I not be moved to do something, however small?

I'll tell you more about Jennifer Rose and her family another day.  My post threatens to be long winded.  But I love Lifeline and I love the Haitian people and their spirit and I just had to share.  

Speaking, of Haiti, anyone want to get together for a mission trip?  Come on, you know you guys are hooked on this story line by now.  Come with and see how it all works out.  Me, you, some other people, we'll go down and build her house together.  And sing at church.  Just in case you are a tiny bit curious (you know you are)  check out Lifeline's link about mission trips:

Lifeline



As always, thanks for reading.  Leave me a comment - I would love to hear from you.  

PayPal: A Word to the Wise

Just a little scoop that you savvy folks already know, but my unsavvy self can't figure out how to best deal with the circumstance so I'll just put the info and the choice in your hands.

In the interest of full disclosure (as well as the interest of raising as much money as possible for AHFJR) I just wanted to let you all know that PayPal does take a percentage of funds sent under the mode of donation.  More specifically, PayPal takes $2.7% of the donation when made through its site.  This fee is deducted from your donation before it hits the account for A House For Jennifer Rose.

While I don't disparage banks for being banks, selling products at a profit and making money, I just like consumers and our donors to be aware of this.

If you are tech savvy, have a PayPal account, and want to make your donation go as far as possible, there is a fully legal and above board way to avoid incurring this fee.  Simply 'send' money from your PayPal account to ours.  When prompted, select 'I'm sending money to family or friends'.  The money will be transferred to the account and no fee deducted.

This was the actual recommendation from the support person I spoke to at PayPal so please do not fret that I would lead you astray and promote dishonesty.  We are raising funds to help a family.  It's not our aim to do anything that would dishonor our purpose or the God we serve who is so faithfully providing for this project that He has set on our hearts.

This is just a little heads up for those who would like to donate and wouldn't mind making it a two step process rather than a simply click of the 'donate' button.  I will leave the button there, for now, as an option, should anyone choose it.

Checks may also be made.  This is the recommended method if you will require a receipt for tax purposes.  Only one person has inquired about that so far, so I won't bore you with the details, but leave me a comment or shoot me an email if you would like more info on that.

Again, this might be tedious info and it certainly is just a small part of the bigger picture of helping this family but I have a feeling that my readership is about 3 people right now and so the possibility of boring or discouraging a reader is a risk I'm willing to take at this point.  Call me if you have questions, Dad.

Thanks for reading and put us on your list to check back and follow up with this big adventure.  Things are happening, people.  Its exciting!