As the team walked through the community, they were immediately smitten with the beautiful children with their deep eyes and yet horrified by their living conditions. One team member wrote,

 "…what we saw should never be. No one should have to live in the filth that we saw. No child should have to play in the garbage. But then again, the children we saw had smiles on their faces as they played barefoot in piles of garbage. Maybe they know something about life that I don't know. I'd sure like to find out."

The children they saw. Children like the young boy, standing in what most would consider a dump, in his ironic and immaculate “Preserve the Future” shirt.

Because of the two-year anniversary of the massive earthquake in Haiti, today is a day of reflection in Haiti. It is a day of mourning, of remembrance. For others, it is a day of examination – have we helped? Have we made a difference for this country?

It is far too easy to get lost in analysis. So instead of focusing on our own efforts and their impact, we want to focus on the children. Like the young boy who paused during his day to let some visitors take his photograph.

Or these children with the beatific smiles as they are first enrolled in a Mission of Mercy program.
Or those who pray and sing to God before class, or those who eagerly make their way to school.
Much can be written of Haiti, of its continued status as “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere,” a phrase that Haitian-born journalist Joel Dreyfuss considers a cage of words – “a box, a metaphorical prison” – that lends little to true understanding other than emphasizing the numerous tragedies and challenges it faces.

Instead, we will continue our work with the children of Haiti. We will continue to pray for dignity, for creative solutions to issues and continued growth in our partnering faith communities. We will pray for these children to find their identity as a child of God and not as a resident of a nation with a reputation.

And we will pray that we can have God’s eyes and ears and heart for this country. And we will claim the promise of our faith – we are new creations, the old has passed away, behold, new has come – for the children of Haiti, today and every day.

Your sponsored child may live halfway around the world, but you have more in common than you think in terms of Christmas traditions... especially food! We even included some recipes if you'd like to try something different this year!

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In the coming weeks you should receive a Christmas card from your sponsored child, and on it will be Christmas wishes in their own hand. We love this time of year because you can see the anticipation of Christmas in the children's heartfelt wishes. 

But very few of the children in our programs speak English -- so what do their Christmas wishes look like?

In most of the countries in which we work, the language spoken does not use a Latin or Roman alphabet such as what we use in English or what many of the countries in Africa or Central America use above. 

Yet the result is just as beautiful. Several countries, such as the Philippines and India, have regions that use different languages or dialects, which are represented below.

And then there's the Middle East, where Christ and the Christmas season was born. What wonderful wishes!

It's a bit early to wish you a Merry Christmas, but we can't help getting in the spirit! 

This may not make a typical Thanksgiving list, but that's no reason not to be grateful for the way you've helped us improve the lives of children!

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Hurricane Irene's location as of 9 am, Tuesday August 23, churning more than 50 miles north of the coast. Image courtesy of Stormpulse.com; to track the storm's path and progress, click on the image.Thank you for praying for our programs in the DR and Haiti! We just received word that our projects in both countries sustained minimal damage. Praise God!

Although Irene had been upgraded to a category two hurricane, the storm's path took it north of the coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Many Mission of Mercy projects are located in this northern region and closed temporarily to allow families to ride out the storm together.

Our prayers for the communities' safety were answered! The staff is still checking with families and community members, but it appears that no major damage occurred.

If you sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic or Haiti, please note that we will only contact you if we are notified that your sponsored child has been affected.

In the event of natural disasters or disease outbreaks, Mission of Mercy relies on our Children's Crisis Fund to respond. To ensure we continue to have has the funds available to help the children and their families in times of hardship, please consider a donation to the Children's Crisis Fund. To read how the Children's Crisis Fund met needs in the past, click here.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

We anxiously watched as Tropical Storm Emily approached the Dominican Republic and Haiti. And we are praised God as this storm weakened to Tropical Wave, which is weaker than its previous category of Tropical Depression.

Those praises continue as our field staff reported no damage. Some rain fell in the northern parts of the DR and Haiti, but not enough to cause concern. We thank God that our projects can continue to operate normally as they minister to the children and the community.

In this image from August 3, Tropical Storm Emily approaches the DR, Haiti, and after that, Cuba. Image: NOAA

The mission team in Honduras wrapped up their projects in Choluteca and Tegucigalpa and safely returned to the U.S. God has surely knit their hearts together, so we can continue to pray that they can hear God clearly and have the time and space to seek God's face about all they saw, felt, and heard in Honduras.

Have you ever wondered what your sponsored child's home looks like? If you're the curious type, you'll enjoy this week as we travel around to each of the countries where Mission of Mercy works and show you the types of houses your sponsored children call home.

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Two countries, one island, two very different sports.

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The needs of Haiti may seem overwhelming, but we are strengthened when we see how God has worked through you and your prayers. Click the link below to get a better idea of all that we've done in Haiti, and don't miss the video message from Haiti at the end!

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As the Medical Mercy team wraps up its final days in Haiti, we look at the program as a whole. Did you know that Medical Mercy provides more than health clinics?

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Can you fill in the blank? Dr. Beyda has an answer and so do we. Find the answer in this latest post and listen to a brief audio clip from Dr. Beyda on what happens in our clinics in Haiti!

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In the past year, Medical Mercy has traveled to Haiti several times. Yet the roots of our response to Haiti's challenges, especially the cholera epidemic, go back much farther than that. How does an experience from more than 30 years ago inform our ministry today?

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A human touch breaks down walls. Can your letters do that, too? More reflections from Jack's trip to Haiti, and more encouragement for us as sponsors.

For Edmond, the difference between life and death cost less than a dollar. Read what happened when a sponsored child contracted cholera, and how even a small gift can make the biggest difference.

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Dr. Beyda gives us another update as he wraps up his emergency assessment trip in Haiti. What does he see when he steps outside our projects? Are all our efforts making a difference?

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Standing in the midst of a cholera treatment center, we received some unexpected encouragement from Doctors Without Borders today...

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Jack sends us another dispatch from northern Haiti, where cholera continues to spread. Yet now, thanks to the time he spent in a little community south of Limbe, cholera has a face.

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Jack Eans, our Vice President for International Child Ministries, is back on the ground in Haiti, helping to evaluate the situation at our projects. He sends us this report, which gives us all the more reason to pray.

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Thank you for your continued prayers for the people of Haiti. The spread of cholera is a stark reminder that even the simplest needs must be met to create a better life for a child.

Click the link below if you would like to help us cover the cost of meeting these needs. 

If you sponsor a child in Haiti, please know that if your child is affected, we will contact you as soon as possible. We are in daily (if not hourly) contact with our staff. Here is a short update on our ongoing response to the cholera epidemic:

Each of our project directors have received additional shipments of bleach, antibacterial soap, and oral rehydration supplies. Since last week, they and the two community members selected by the project have undergone further hands-on training to help identify, treat, and prevent cholera.

As the project directors set up community trainings and resource distribution, the two community members will resume their home visits, assessing each family’s water use and needs as well as the health of the children.

Mothers will be encouraged to bring their children to the projects as needed, but especially if they have been ill. The children will receive an enriched meal and rehydration liquid. This also gives our staff the opportunity to evaluate the child’s health, especially the dehydration and malnutrition levels. Mothers will have access to training and hygiene supplies.

Dr. Beyda will arrive next week to continue these assessments and provide guidance for staff. He will work with local clinics and cholera treatment centers to provide treatment and assistance to our children. Medical Mercy will take a team back to our northern projects in the first week of January.

We are so grateful for your sustained prayers. We are seeing God move in response to this need, continuing to provide for and protect our staff and children. As always, watch this space for any future updates. 

Due to the continued spread of cholera and violent protests in the northern cities, all normal Mission of Mercy project activities in Haiti are currently on hold. The project and staff are moving into new roles due to this crisis. Click the link below to learn more -- they need your prayer!

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