Dear friends,
Thanksgiving may have been a little different for you this year. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic we have all had to learn how to give thanks in less-than-ideal circumstances. Perhaps travel restrictions kept your Thanksgiving table less than full. Maybe someone close to you has contracted the virus or been affected by it. You may have felt some of the economic impact of the pandemic. Whatever your situation, I’m sure your Thanksgiving was impacted in some way. This Thanksgiving has been a season of learning to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), even the tough ones.
For the people of Haiti, giving thanks in all circumstances is a way of life. Myriam and I have just returned from Bayonnais where we witnessed the ICDM school moving ahead into the new school year with great progress in spite of having to make up the remainder of last year because of COVID-19. We found the teachers and students vibrant and focused and ready to take on the challenges of learning.
While we were there, we were reminded of how the simplest of things can be the occasion for great rejoicing. A new backpack, a set of new pencils, a new uniform top, even a hot lunch can bring huge smiles to our students’ faces. We thank you for your faithfulness in helping to bring such joy to our students.
As we approach giving Tuesday (December 1), I ask you to please keep the children of Bayonnais, Haiti on your Christmas shopping list. Some of you may have spent the last few days shopping for great bargains for your family and friends. There is no greater bargain than a changed life and a changed future for the children of Haiti.
You can change an individual child’s life by helping to sponsor their education expenses for only $35 per month. Your gift will provide instruction, school supplies, and a uniform for a child who may go on to change the future of Haiti, as many of our alumni already have. To sponsor a child, I invite you to visit our web page at https://icdm.us/sponsor.
The other gift to consider is the feeding of the school. Each day school is in session, we provide all of our students (800 of them!) with a free, nutritious hot lunch. For some of our students, this is the main or only meal of the day. It costs us 50 cents per meal per day, or $400 for the entire school. You can help by sponsoring a day ($400), a half day ($200), or some other increment. Details are available at https://icdm.us/childrens-feeding-program.
Thank you in advance for your generosity towards the children of Bayonnais. We remain ever grateful to you and to God.
Yvan Pierre
ICDM Director |
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