Mission Team from Argentina!!

Most of the mission teams that come to NVM are from the United States. So it is refreshing to receive a team from another country. About a week ago a team of young people arrived from Argentina. This team is made up of university students and young professionals. Most of the students are involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. However the team members come from a variety of cities throughout the country. And we are thrilled to have them with us.

 So that you don't have to go look at a map, Argentina is the southern most country in South America. And like the majority of the countries on the continent, they speak Spanish.

The Campus Crusade movement in Argentina is committed to mission outreach. They send teams out within Argentina but send one team outside the country each year. This year that country is Haiti. The Campus Crusade National Director in Argentina knows Pastor Pierre personally. Pastor Pierre encouraged them to send a team to Haiti and they responded.

This trip is a major commitment for each of the members. Besides the time a trip like this takes, it cost each member 10,000 Argentine pesos. This is equal to $1,800 US dollars. And it is difficult to raise funds for mission trips in Argentina.

The purpose of their trip to NVM was to interact with Haitian students by conducting sports clinics. As you can well imagine, the primary sport here is soccer. But they also played volleyball and basketball. Both sports are growing in popularity. They not only taught the students skills but ran scrimmages. And after playing the games they sang songs and told stories from God's Word. They have been a real blessing and have made a tremendous impact on the young people in this area. Here are some of the sights.

One of the team members is Haitian. Roberson is studying medicine in Argentina and he was a strong connection to Haiti for this team. He conducted Creole lessons for the team via Skype before the trip. The team members came speaking some Creole and were able to sing songs in the language. And Roberson's understanding of the Haitian culture and language is a great help. And one evening this week, the team visited his home church.

Trip highlights for the team include meeting Pastor Pierre and hearing his vision for Haiti, attending Roberson's church and spending time in Chambrun and Onaville. Meeting Haitians in their own communities and making new friends has made a big impact on the team.

This is the first cross-cultural experience for most of the members of this team. And the trip has made a lasting impression on them all. We are grateful they have come and ask God to richly bless them as they return. The impact of their ministry here will continue in the lives of Haitian young people for years to come.

Let's end by watching them conduct a soccer scrimmage and listening to them sing How Great Thou Art in church on their first weekend at NVM. I'm sure you will be blessed.

Serving on your behalf in Haiti,
Jim & Cheryl Warner

Having a great time at English Camp at NVM in Haiti

In the last post we told you about the English camp being conducted at NVM. It is going so well. We have had many teams coming from the USA to help us out and we are so grateful. The kids are not only learning a great deal but are spending some time with some great role models.

But besides learning English and God's Word, the students are also having a great time. Check out this video. The kids love to sing, dance and play soccer. The song you will hear was written specifically for the English camp by our Worship Director and IT Manger., Clersondy. And he did it in one day!! Here you go.

Serving on your behalf in Haiti,
Jim & Cheryl Warner

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

In the United States kids have a multitude of options for how they will spend their summer months. But in Haiti the options are limited. For the second summer, NVM is giving students in this area a great alternative. We are conducting a 4-week English camp!

No matter where you are in the world, it is always good to see kids learning. For most, a good education will expand their horizons and open the doors of opportunity.  NVM is committed to educating young people. In fact, education is one of our four main ministry pillars. This pillar supports a school of over 300 students as well as additional learning opportunities during the summer months. For the second year during the month of July, NVM has invited students to enroll in an English camp. Learning to speak English conversationally is one of the important steps in helping students cross cultural and economic barriers. This ability will most certainly provide them with opportunities for further education and employment.

This year 115 students, ranging in age from 10 to 16, have enrolled in the camp. The camp runs for four consecutive weeks, Monday through Friday. Starting at 8:30 am and ending at 2:00 pm each day, the students sing together, do crafts, learning English, learn from God’s Word, have fun playing games and are given a good meal. The English camp is having a big impact on these kids. Here are some of the sights!

Starting out the day together

Heidi cheering the kids on

Getting ready for the morning activity - soccer!

Kids are cute no matter where you are

There is a lot of singing and dancing going on

Instructions for the day

Grace lovin' on the kids

Sorting out the badges

English class is about to begin

Answer a question in English and get your badge

Sometimes you need a bull horn!!

Soccer team getting ready to play

Let the game begin!

A treat (and yes, that is Fifi!!)

Watching a kid's movie in English with Creole subtitles - a fun way to learn

The game is well under way

Basketball is a new sport in Haiti - but they are learning quickly

The NVM English camp goes well beyond learning in the classroom. It also provides an opportunity for the students to be engaged in healthy and supervised summer activities. They are learning English but are also learning from God’s Word. And the wonderful young people coming from the United States to help run the camp are providing the kids with love and attention and are serving as great role models!

Pray for these young people. Most of them are very smart and capable. Some of them will be the future leaders in Haiti. But for now pray that God gets a hold of their hearts and their lives.

Serving on your behalf in Haiti,

Jim & Cheryl Warner

Cheryl's New NVM Craft Workshop!!

My passion is to see the ladies in Chambrun and Onaville earn an income to provide for their families and deepen their love for the Lord.  Right now this is happening for over 60 ladies.

There are 20 ladies in Chambrun and 10 ladies in Onaville who are are earning an income by hand rolling paper beads.  A number of these ladies are using their beads to make jewelry. They are also learning to combine glass beads and their rolled beads to design necklaces and bracelets.  Their work is being sold in the NVM Project Hope Gift Shop here on the NVM Compound to teams who come to minister here in Haiti. And by using God's Word during our devotions, their personal relationship with Christ is being transformed and their love for the Lord is deepening!

We also have 33 ladies in Onaville hand rolling fabric onto rope to create beautiful baskets that are also sold in the NVM Project Hope Gift Shop.  These baskets have also helped to provide an income for their families. The Basket Class will be graduating on July 25th and the ladies will be starting their own businesses here in Haiti.  The basket class is held at the Worship Chapel of Nehemiah in Onaville which is a NVM church plant.  A new class will start on August 8th for another 30 ladies who will start to learn how to create beautiful handmade baskets. The goal again is for them to earn an income and deepen their relationship with the Lord.  What a blessing it is to build into the lives of these ladies.  Both of these classes are now being run by Haitian women (seen below), which has been one of my high priority goals. I now have the privilege of being their support system.

Madame Pastor Julie

Regine Orange

It has been such a blessing for me to see these ladies grow by learning a skill that can help improve their living conditions and see them grow in their love for the Lord.  They are now sharing openly about their struggles and they each have a prayer partner.

One story in particular is about a young mother with 7 children!  Because of her skill in making the jewelry and and the sales of her items to teams coming to the NVM Compound, she has been able to build her own brick home and has been able to buy the products to make and sell food near her home.

She now has her own small business!  She sees this all as a blessing from the Lord through her work at NVM.  She is a faithful church attender here at the Worship Chapel in Chambrun and a very good mother to her 7 children.  We are constantly seeing lives like hers being changed here at NVM - moving them from darkness to light from hopelessness to eternal life.

The jewelry work at the NVM Compound is now being done in a new NVM Workshop - where the ladies can sit in the comfort of air conditioning on our 98 degree days.  Pastor Pierre has built a workshop out of one of the containers connected to the NVM school kitchen. Some of you have helped to contribute to the funds that were needed for this!  Thanks!  As you can see from the pictures....the ladies have lots of beads and work space in their new NVM WORKSHOP.  They are so blessed at the love and care that is shown to them.

Workshop is the container on the right

Over 800 team members each year visit NVM to be involved in mission projects. Many of them shop in the NVM Project Hope Gift Shop. This is a tremendous blessing to the ladies making the jewelry and baskets.

Most of the ladies have become very dear friends here in Haiti.  It is a blessing to work along side them and see their lives transformed.

Serving on your behalf in Haiti,
Jim & Cheryl Warner