Tammy Campbell has organized an on-line fundraiser for Redemption by Grace Ministries.  To participate or see how it is going plesase click on the link below:
http://www.indiegogo.com/project/332697/widget/2366728

Thank you Tammy and all our friends for helping in this way. 

God bless you. 

Welcome Manessa Joy

We are please to announce that our precious Manessa Joy arrived on September 20th.   We are all enjoying her and she is definitely a true blessing.  Her she is...

Here she is!

Kisses from Daddy

Mommy and Manessa

 

 



Baptism of July 2012

God will make a way

Cast all your cares on Him; for He cares for you. 1Peter 5:7

Last Friday Pastor Massenat was called into a meeting by one of the pastors and a missionary who are overseeing the construction of the new orphanage site for Haiti Children’s Home.  The meeting was about Nivard Holiness Church being on the front corner of the property where the new orphanage is being constructed.  Pastor Massenat was asked to remove the church immediately but not later than 30 days as to not impede their progress with construction.  The two men went on to explain that if we didn't have a location for the church that we needed to tear the church down because the funding for the new orphanage has come in more quickly than was expected and the construction is moving forward at a very quick speed. While this is very positive for them and for the children and we praise the Lord for them; it presented a difficult situation for us.   We knew that at some point the church would have to be relocated but we were not expecting it so soon.

We went to prayer and contacted several of our faithful prayer partners to join us in prayer.  We did not have the funds to purchase any property and we didn’t have the funds to rent anything right now.  We sincerely did not know how the Lord was going to work it out but it was our prayer that we would be able to move immediately and not wait for the 30 days. 

Friday afternoon Pastor Massenat and his pastor friend, Pastor Jerome we on with their plans to visit homes; they were able to pray with several people.  Friday evening a prayer service was held at the church like usual.

Saturday morning Pastor Massenat called the people of the church together and explained that we needed to relocate the church as soon as possible.  He explained that it was his goal to move it before next Sunday.  He asked the people to join in prayer and help find land to rent for the church.  The people voiced their support and asked that we not consider closing the church.  They said they would help but we did not know what this meant.  One lady in the church came forward and offered to rent us a piece of property but we didn't know the price.  A man said the church could gather for worship under the trees in his front yard temporarily and the wood, tarp and tin from the church could be stacked in his back yard.  We saw things coming together but there was still so much to be done. 

The response of the people at the church has been overwhelming; very positively overwhelming.  We could have never anticipated the outpouring of support we are receiving from our precious church people through this time of transition.  Here the church is not yet one year old and the people are so dedicated. 

Sunday morning service went on a usual.  Two people had requested baptism so early Sunday a baptism service was held at the local river prior to the regular morning service.  Pastor Massenat announced that Sunday evening would be the last service held in the little church and future services would be under the neighbor’s trees in his front yard.  Sunday closed with a bitter sweetness; bitter due to the uncertainty but sweet because we know God is faithful, two new converts had publicly professed faith in Him through baptism and what the Lord had worked out already.    

Yesterday morning, Pastor Massenat was not even out of the house yet (5 miles from the church which means someone either had to walk or pay a taxi to get to him and for the poor people of the church this was a huge sacrifice) when a knock came on the door and he was summoned to the church.  When he arrived he found several people from the church already hard at work.  People of all ages, children, teens, adults and elderly had gathered since day break to start the hard work of clearing a place for the church; a field full of weeds and thorns but they were busy clearing it to make a place for their church.  Another group was at the church busily uprooting the humble tree stump benches to be transported.   A group of some of Haiti poorest, many with not a bite of breakfast but willing to do whatever they could to protect their church and keep the ministry going.

When Pastor Massenat walked up, the lady who had offered to rent the property said, "Pastor you can use the property now; you can pay me the rent as soon as you can.  We can't let the church suffer.   We want you here with us; we want the church to go forward. You can put the church up right away."  Pastor Massenat could not really find any words to answer her or express his gratitude for what she was doing.  What a sacrifice.  That field represents the food that would feed this woman's family over the next months and she was willing to make the sacrifice so the Lord's work can go on; willing to trust that she would receive the rent in time to care for her family.  The man who had offered his front yard under the trees is a carpenter and he was busy at the church, dismantling the things he built less than a year ago so he could transport them to the new location (everything had been built secured into the ground to keep them from being stolen). 

By noon yesterday, a large area had been cleared at the new location to allow the church to be put back up.  Pastor Massenat had nothing tangible to offer in return; the people were hungry, they were thirsty, the sun was hot but they didn't let that discourage them.  Pastor Massenat stood in amazement as he watched them break for 'lunch' and quietly walk to a stack of sugar cane that one of the men had cut from his nearby field.  This was to replace their main meal of the day, a stick or two of sugar cane and right back to work.  Finally, Pastor Massenat was so overwhelmed by the generosity and will of the people that he stepped way to call and tell me what was going on.  I listened and then the tears came and still do as I write this.  The sacrifice, the love, the desire of these people to keep the ministry moving forward is amazing.  Most of them have not been saved very long most of them just within the last year since the church has been there but already they have caught a vision to serve and give all they have to the Jesus. 
 

Please keep these dear people in your prayers and the future of the church; please help us pray about the $600US needed to pay for the rental property. 

God bless you. 

Mr. and Mrs. Michlet who have made

their property available for the church. 

Pastor Massenat flew back to Haiti on July 4th and will be there for 6 weeks.  When he first arrived he found his mother very ill with malaria and had to rush her to the doctor the following morning.  She is recovering and is doing much better.  He also found our truck in bad repair and has spent a lot of time getting that worked on; finally last week the mechanic put a new engine in it so hopefully it will run much better now.  Our truck definitely need your prayers as it really is not very healthy.

The remainder of his time there so far has been spent visiting church families and new converts and holding services.  He has been very busy working out the legal process for our new ministry, RGM in Haiti.  The Lord has really intervened and a lot of progress has happened already with the legal process.  Please pray for Pastor Massenat as he continues to pursue legal recognition for RGM as a nation-wide charitable organization in Haiti.  This process usually takes a year or more. 

In the US, our local church, Hilltop Chapel has graciously agreed to partner with us and is receiving donations for the ministry.  Donations can be mailed directly to Hilltop Chapel for Haiti Ministries at 11700 Spring Arbor Road Concord, MI 49237. 

I am still in the US with Amanda and Melinda and her daughter, Massenda are still here as well.  Melinda's pregnancy continues to go well; the baby is due mid-September.  We plan to return to Haiti late this fall.  

I would love to hear from you.  I am on facebook under Patricia Smith or you can send me a message at hchaiti@gmail.com

The new website is up and ready to view!  Please visit us at www.redemptionbygraceministries.org If you would like to receive newsletters from us by e-mail; please send Melinda a message at mnmulysse@yahoo.com  The newsletters are sent every other month.

A word from Grandma Pat

I am in the US at this time while the Ulysse family and I explore a new ministry vision and await the arrival of my new grandbaby in September.  Pastor Massenat and Melinda expect their little blessing to arrive mid-September and then we plan to go back home to Haiti late November or early December.    
When the Ulysse family and I return to Haiti we will continue to help those in need.  We will continue the ministry of Nivard Holiness Church and will provide nursing care as the need arises including the tiniest and most vulnerable newborns and premature infants.  Our new ministry will operate under the name of Redemption by Grace Ministries (RGM) or in French "Mission Redemption par la Grace". Please look for our new website coming soon at www.redemptionbygraceministries.org  We covet your continued prayers as we make this transition.

Specific areas in need of prayer are:

·         Prayer warriors who will give us spiritual covering on a regular basis

·         Enough monthly financial support for our missionary families and ministry so we can continue ministering in Haiti

·         Funding for the missionary house

·         Property for Nivard Holiness Church

·         A permanent church building for the Nivard Holiness Church

Financial donations are being received by:
Hilltop Chapel 11700 Spring Arbor Road Concord, MI 49237. 

We can be contacted at mnmulysse@yahoo.com or hchaiti@gmail.com  We would love to hear from you. 

Please note that Haiti Children's Home continues to care for orphan and needy children.  HCH was taken over by the  Haitian based organization FONSOPED in January 2012 with the financial support of HCAS from Canada.   Grandma Pat and the Ulysse family are no longer present at HCH and are no longer in charge of the administration at HCH. 

Happy Birthday at HCH

July 2, 2011 was homecoming day for the Ulysse family(Melinda and her husband) and I (Grandma Pat). It is nice to be settling back in at home again and learning the new routines. The children were all very happy to see our family arrive and we were delighted to see them again as well.

Today we had a birthday party for the children who have birthdays in July and August. There were 6 children to celebrate. Today also celebrates 23 years since HCH received the first child. I would love to know how many children have come and gone through our doors since then but so many are short stays and are never recorded in our records. It is such a privilege to be part of this and to see all the people that God has brought to join our team. Currently we have 5 volunteers with us who are such a blessing.

Thank you to all of you who have supported us with prayers and financial support over the years. A special thank you to Tracy Snyder who is responsible for collecting most of the gifts that the children received today and to our team of cake decorators: Melissa, Liz, John and Andrew.

The Doctor has arrived!

Thank you to all of those who have helped us pray during the cholera epidemic. The doctor has arrived in Haiti and is on his way to the orphanage. We will continue to keep you updated.

Staff still needed

The doctor and one or two other men will arrive in Haiti tomorrow. We still need to schedule helpers for basic child care and medical or nursing staff for after they leave.

We are also in need of funding to help cover the extra costs associated with isolation, caring for the children and medication etc. We also have people who are willing to go if we can help them with travel expenses. If you can help in this way, please see our website at http://www.haitichildrenshome.com/ for information on how to donate funds.

HCH Cholera update

We are getting a doctor!!! And some extra hands! This is in addition to the nurse who was loaned to HCH by another organization over the weekend. The nurse will be at HCH until Tuesday. We praise God as this is a huge answer to prayer. Thank you to everyone who has been helping us look for help. We will need more helpers over the next several weeks so please feel free to contact us if you would like to help.

We are now up to 7 children with symptoms of cholera (adoptive parents will be contacted personally if their children become ill). There seems to a new patient to our little 'cholera' unit every few hours; so far only one has had to be on IV fluid. We pray that God will continue to allow their symptoms to be moderate and not severe like Evan was at first.

Please continue to hold Shae and Melissa up in prayer; they are very weary and exhausted. They have only had 4 hours of sleep since Friday when all of this started. They have been so busy that in addition to sleep deprivation they have also lacked in nutrition as they haven't had time to stop and eat much. Please help us pray that God will put a hedge of protection about them.

Please continue to help us pray for the people of Haiti; those in Haiti who are ill or could become ill and those living in the deplorable conditions left by the earthquake. Please also remember the Haitian people (and missionaries) living in other countries who are experiencing great anxiety and grief over their families.

If you would like to help, items can be dropped off to Lori West for the team to take with them. Please contact Lori West on facebook or at sorrylori@hotmail.com for more information. If you would like to donate funds to help with medication and other expenses related to this crisis, please see the website www.haitichildrenshome.com for more information on how to donate.

It is cholera...back to the hospital we go

Evan had to return to the hospital around 9:30 this evening, He developed vomiting again and the diarrhea continues regularly in large quantities. He does have cholera and is being treated.

We do have a couple of possible leads on nurses. Please help us pray that we will get a nurse.

Evan

Our little Evan at the hospital. The results are not back confirming whether he has cholera or not but the symptoms are all there. Please keep our little guy in your prayers.

Please pray for protection and health for Shae, Melissa and Sadrack as they take turns sitting at his bedside today and through the night.

5:15PM- The hospital has just released Evan. He is being quarantined at HCH for the next 5 days. Shae and Melissa will continue to care for him and stay with him unti he is completely well and no longer has to be quarantined.

Cholera on the rise in Haiti

We are still in need of someone who can start IV's. Cholera is spreading rapidly once again. It has now reached Port-au-Prince and several other regions that did not have it previously. It is on the rise again in our village as well. Shae just reported that people are arriving every few minutes to be admitted to the cholera unit.

We currently have Evan admitted to the hospital for IV therapy. He is being tested for cholera as he has severe diarrhea and vomiting; he was so dehydrated when he arrived at the hospital this morning that the staff had a lot difficulty getting an IV needle in him. He is stable and Shae and Melissa are with him.

Levi was also taken to the hospital this morning with symptoms but the doctors said he does not have cholera so he was treated and sent home.

Please keep us in your prayers and if you can start IV's and would like to help please let us know.

Sweet pictures

Melissa and Shae cuddling and loving in the midst of it all. We thank God for them.

Another day at HCH...and now...we evacuate for the hurricane

As of last night all of the children and staff from HCH were evacuated to a local church. Shae and Melissa worked very hard along with the staff to get everything packed and get the children moved. Although the accomodations are a bit crowded it is reassuring to all that that the children have safer housing on higher ground and the water on the church compound is safe. Everyone involved was very exhausted by the end of the day but very relieved to have the job done.

Adoptions are still processing

It was brought to my attention that I did not mention how adoptions were being effected by the isolation of the HCH compound. I wanted to clarify for those of you processing adoptions through HCH that your files are still moving despite the precautions being taken on the compound. Director Mathieu is not participating in the reverse isolation. He is on the outside and still processing paperwork.

-Melinda

Ulysse family and Grandma Pat to start deputation services

Massenat and Melinda Ulysse and their children along with Grandma Pat and Amanda plan to start holding meetings to raise support for their return to Haiti. If you would like to schedule a meeting for yourself or your church, please contact Melinda Ulysse by phone at 352-307-2449 or 772-209-2527 or by e-mail at hchkids@yahoo.com for more information.

Please pray for us as we start to book our calendar. We need to raise our personal monthly support as well as funds for our return. We plan to return as soon as we are able.

Reverse Isolation

We were successful in isolating the orphanage over the weekend. Several of our staff graciously agreed to stay around the clock in a lock down situation for at least a month and longer if needed. We had to hire some temporary staff as not enough of our employees were able to stay to make a full staff on-site with the children; we are grateful to all those who helped make the reverse isolation happen.

It took about 24 hours to actually get the compound ready, find the staff and get enough supplies to make it all happen but everyone worked together and made it happen. Lunto went to get bulk supplies on Friday, Mathieu went to employees homes, made phone calls and then arranged a meeting with those in place for the isolation. On Saturday, Shae and Melissa went to Port-au-Prince for one last grocery shopping trip to buy food, extra water jugs, air mattresses for the staff and hand sanitizer (they couldn't get any of this) before locking down. When they got home they set up mattresses and made sleeping arrangements for about 12 helpers who joined them in the already overcrowded sleeping quarters. Then they initiated the isolation officially.

So far no children and no staff from HCH have been effected by cholera. We do have a few children with mild illness but no one with symptoms of cholera. We thank God for this and we pray that he will continue to cover them.

We are still in need of a nurse or two. We need someone who is proficient at starting IV's and is willing to administer the daily medications and treatments. If you or someone you know is interested in helping in this way please contact Melinda Ulysse by phone at 352-307-2449 or 772-209-2527 or e-mail at hchkids@yahoo.com

Please continue to help us pray for the country of Haiti and HCH as everyone tried to recover from the earthquake earlier this year and now the cholera outbreak. HCH is in need of funding to help cover the extra expenses incurred due to the cholera outbreak if you would like to help financially please see our website http://www.haitichildrenshome.com/

Illness update

The illness continues to spread in Haiti and throughout our village; we are trying to staff the orphanage sufficiently to initiate reverse isolation (isolating our home to avoid any of the children becoming ill). Mathieu, Lunto, Shae, Melissa and the other staff need your prayers as they attempt to get everything in order to make this happen.

Yesterday we were able to purchase several liters of IV fluid in Port-au-Prince. We would still like to have a nurse on-site to start IV's if need and provide care to the children for other illnesses. Please contact Melinda Ulysse @ 352-307-2449 if you are willing to help in this way.

Once again, please continue to pray for our dear Haiti. We will continue to update you.