We had a blast with Mike Williams from Laugh All Night on Sunday March 7. About 250 people gathered to enjoy some gut busting humor and fun. Our Mountainview family sponsored about 50 children from New Missions providing them with hope for food, schooling and medical care. New Missions currently sponsors 9000 Haitian children through their mission with a goal of increasing that number to 10,0000 this year. Find out more about child sponsorship by clicking on the “Sponsor a Child” link above. 

We are currently still collecting Relief Kits for the people of Haiti. More information on the contents of the kits can be found under the Getting Involved tab. Shoeboxes can be returned to the church anytime before April 26th.  Here’s an idea for our families with children: 

This Easter, give your child an empty plastic shoebox to pack for a child and their family in Haiti. Then…tell your kids about the empty tomb and how sharing love with the world started with Jesus. This is an opportunity for you to bring your faith to the center of your home to share with your kids.  

We also want to thank YOU–our church body–for being the hands and feet of Christ to the kids and families in Haiti. To date, we have collected more than $7000 to purchase rice and support the rebuilding of schools and medical clinics in Haiti. New Missions reports that they have been able to purchase more than 55 tons of food providing a month’s supply of food for the children of each of their 22 schools. The international medical team of doctors and nurse consisting of 71 people is still serving at their high school campus. Materials are being collected from the demolished and damaged buildings to be recycled for temporary structures. On the one month anniversary of the earthquake, the Haitian president called for 3 days of prayer. During this time, 101 voodoo priests found Christ. God is faithful and will continue to move during this difficult time. Let us not forget….

Doors will open at 5:30   for this open seating even.  We do ask that all party members be present before being seated.  Remember, invite your friends and neighbors for this fun, family night of comedy!  We’ll see you there as we continue to reach out to the people of Haiti.

For further information, please contact Rhonda Lundberg at 303.471.9644 or Brendan Yost at 303.471.9644 x26.

Pallets of MRE’s are being moved at New Missions in Haiti for distribution this week for surrounding villages and schools. This picture shows the U.S. Military at New Missions in Haiti moving pallets of food.  “At New Missions in Haiti, we provide over 40,000 meals each week. On Tuesday, we purchased 200 110/pound sacks of rice for $9,600 plus 200 cases of oil for $4,700. This is enough food for 9 days at our 22 schools.” (Charlie DeTellis-New Missions)  That’s $48 per bag of rice. Prices have not yet stabilized.

These are the latest reports from New Missions. The DeTelllis family has been in Haiti for more than 27 years building relationship with the Haitian people.  These relationships allow them opportunities that your average person wouldn’t have. The people in Haiti trust the DeTellis family and New Missions based on their longevity and experiences.  Now, the US Military is working through the opportunities paved by New Missions. Food is reaching people that might not have been fed otherwise because of the difficulty it reaching those outside Port-au-Prince.  God has and is working through this family. I love that!  I want to be a part of that….do you?

1. Ambas-Pere – Damaged
2. Birey – Damaged
3. Bord Mer, Church – Destroyed
4. Bord Mer, School – Destroyed
5. Brache – Damaged
6. Brach Milot, Church – Destroyed
7. Brach Gilles – Destroyed
8. Chateau – Destroyed
9. Concrab – Damaged
10. Darbonne School – Damaged
11. Darbonne Church – Destroyed
12. Darbonne Chateau – Destroyed
13. Flonc – Damaged
14. Fond Jack – Damaged
15. High School (3 Large Buildings) – Damaged
16. L’Acul – Damaged
17. L’unite de Viecourt -
Destroyed
18. Lafferony – Damaged
19. LaSalle – Damaged
20. Leogane Guillame – Damaged
21. Leogane LeRoy – Destroyed
22. Marechal – Damaged
23. Masson – Damaged
24. Santo, Church – Destroyed
25. Signeau – Damaged
26. Ti-Boukan – Damaged
27. Ti Riverie – Damaged
28. Medical Clinic – Destroyed
29. Office building – Destroyed
30. Warehouse – Damaged

Tell your friends. Invite schools to participate. Put together kits as a Life Group. Make it a work thing.  Let’s see how many relief kits we can ship off to Haiti! Please return your kits to Mountainview by no later than Monday, April 26.

Haiti  Emergency Relief Kits                                                 

These shoebox sized kits cost approximately $30 to put together with an additional $7 to cover shipping to Haiti.

• Each kit needs to be placed inside a shoebox.
• Shoebox must be clear and must not be larger than 6 quarts. (Target – $.94)
• To help cover the cost of overseas shipping, please include a donation of $7 inside the box, visible on top of the contents.  Make your check payable to New Missions; please do not send cash.

INCLUDE IN EACH KIT:

Flashlight/batteries Children’s acetaminophen

Children’s Ibuprofen Alcohol Swabs

Neosporin (or generic version) Benadryl (topical/gel)

Mini-first aid kit (includes band-aids of varying sizes, cleansing wipes, gauze pads)

Large gauze pads Elastic wrap

Hand sanitizer Baby powder

Children’s chewable vitamins Toothbrush

Toothpaste Washcloth

Dial soap (anti-bacterial)

1 lb. bag of rice 1 lb. bag of beans

Jerky Small package of nuts

Protein bars

Flat package of tuna (6.4 oz) and/or chicken (pouches are better than cans)

DO NOT INCLUDE:

Candy/chocolate

Clothing/shoes

Toys

School supplies

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Michele Cushatt  at michelecushatt.com.

Bitter questions are often the result of unexplainable circumstances.

 In response to Haiti’s earthquake two weeks ago, I’ve heard many people ask things like:

• Where is God in the middle of this?
• If there is a God, why would he allow something like this to happen?
• How can the idea of a loving Father co-exist with such enormous tragedy?

I believe that behind all these complex questions is a simpler question, “If God exists, can He be trusted?”

I’m afraid any attempt to answer these questions on the blog will seem trite, and I’m apprehensive to even try. But at the same time, the questions can’t be avoided because I believe they’re often the bridge to a deeper understanding about life and spirituality. If you’re brave enough to face them.

During a dark time in my life I asked these same bitter questions. And, from my humble experience, this is what I can tell you.

God can be trusted, because no one loves or longs to protect his masterpiece like the artist himself. And as for where He is in the middle of this, I think there is one important thing to remember:

God was in the heart of Haiti long before an earthquake brought a oft ignored country to the national news. Haiti has been an epicenter of tragedy for hundreds of years. Most of us have just chosen to be ignorant of that fact. The past week’s events may have awakened our hearts and spirit, but don’t assume that because we’ve long slept through Haiti’s plight that God has, too.

He has been working through the hearts and hands of people in Haiti forever. And as much as we feel grieved by these events, I believe God’s heart literally breaks. The nameless faces we see on TV are children God has known from before their births, and He has the very hairs of their head counted.

And I believe, as much as God’s heart grieves for the tragedy, He is relieved that finally the rest of us are starting to love the people he’s been loving all along.

How do you wrestle with unanswerable questions?

Update from Charlie DeTellis in Haiti at New Missions – we are waiting for more photos and will post them as soon as they arrive:

The tremors still continue. Last night, I was sleeping on the couch in my kitchen. There was another tremor and I ran out the door.

Today, a commander chief came a shore from one of the boats in the bay.  He told me our landing station at New Missions has made it possible for them to set up several other stations along the coast. Basically they are moving all of their equipment through our compound. Today there were two landing crafts at the beach at the same time. There are 116 pallets of food they are distributing. This would equal six 40-foot containers.

Again, the landing crafts are bringing men, vehicles, and supplies. Many of the supplies are loaded in quarter size containers. Again, convoys of trucks are leaving our compound for other locations.

Today, the CBs (Construction Battalion) knocked down the school kitchen. I plan on knocking down the school building and the church next.  These should be down a several days.  I am currently looking at locating the BordMer elementary school and church in the village of Neply.  I am talking with an owner who has .25 carreau of land.  We would first build a temporary school building on this location.  I have not heard the price yet.

School gifts are still being distributed.

Our clinic was full today.

All our schoolteachers have been paid.

Charlie DeTellis, in Haiti

Chance?  No way!  God knew exactly where she’d be and now He will use her story to care for His children. What an amazing  God we serve!