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Hello. We are trying to give Children Sponsors updates on the children, the school and the Bayonnais community. Also, we are hoping to address some concerns that had been brought to our attention with I.C.D.M.’s sponsorship program.
I returned from a week trip to Haiti, in September, where school has just started and 800 children are expected to become enrolled by the end of this year. What an amazing answered prayer that these children of Bayonnais are receiving a quality Christian education. There are classrooms not only downstairs, but upstairs in the school building and a classroom now occupies the church. A seventh grade and eighth grade classroom are new additions this year. The teaching staff continues to grow and many of the teachers are former I.C.D.M students! A large number of the teachers enrolled in the Pastor’s workshop in January and many also attend Bible study during the week, on the school grounds.
My week was filled with children who were excitedly returning to classrooms and their voices rang out in unison as they learned math and history, or another language or a Bible lesson. The sound of laughter filled the air each day. The youngest children were settling in, of course there was some crying, since it was the first time away from their Moms! But by weeks end the crying had stopped and had turned into giggles!
Here is what some of the children had to say about school, Kevinson and Eliezar are preschoolers and they love recess the best! Angelique who is in the 3rd grade and Nyson who is in the 2nd grade, like their math classes the best. Of course all the children welcome visitors and like any form of interaction, whether it was singing, jumping up and down alongside of them, playing tag or kicking a soccer (football) ball.
I love walking and hiking in the mountains before school starts so I can watch the children happily hurry down the mountain to arrive at school on time. We walk by as they are brushing their teeth or washing up outside using running pumps for water or nearby streams. Their uniforms are pressed and they always arrive at school neat and clean. A much different environment than the luxuries we can take for granted, such as our bathrooms, washing machines and electricity!
In the community many blessings have occurred. This January a team that Will Haryslak oversees, built the first home for a neighborhood woman and her child, and they did this in one week, amazing! It is another outreach program for I.C.D.M called Home4Haiti. Another home will be built in January 2019. Twenty school benches were built during the week I spent there. to be used at the school. Also while I was in Bayonnais, three babies were born in the small medical clinic room on the I.C.D.M site. Across the street, the new medical clinic is nearing completion. As you can see I.C.D.M.’s ministry and its many dedicated mission partners are reaching out and helping in the community anyway they can! God’s blessings are great and prayers have certainly been answered!
Your sponsorship money goes toward uniforms and even though there are many children not sponsored yet, all children enrolled at the school will receive a uniform, socks and shoes. Sponsorship monies also go towards teacher salaries and teaching materials. Of course I.C.D.M.’s budget is stretched since only 25% of the school’s children are currently sponsored. As you can see there is an enormous need for more sponsors. Think about this; for what it would cost to buy 2 movie tickets and share a popcorn and drink, you could sponsor a child for $35 a month! I.C.D.M. has also launched a feeding program to help with the cost of giving the children a meal each day. For just $10 per month, that is less than the cost of 2 specialty coffees, you could feed a child! Thanks for your continued support. As Yvan Pierre has said “ If God has put it on your heart to help out, He will guide you and provide.” Would you please tell others about this wonderful program?
If you have any concerns or suggestions please feel free to contact me. I am working on updating our sponsor list. This way every child attending school is accounted for, if they leave I will know this and be able to contact their sponsors with this information. The goal is to try and mail out newsletters periodically with updates. We are in the process of updating the website’s sponsorship program. Please contact me if you or someone you know would like to sponsor a child.
Let us all do our part and keep helping out a child in need in Haiti!
Blessings,
Sabrina Terrill sabrinaterrill@gmail.com or #407-601-9037
Sponsorship Manager Relations
info@icdm.us
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