The telecommunications act of 1996 included a bold plan to increase the use of computers and information technology in U.S. schools and make sure that every school in America had internet access. One of the programs this legislation started is commonly called the E-rate. The purpose of the E-rate program is to provide funding to every school that applies so that they can improve their connection to the internet and keep their information technology current. From the start of the E-rate program until I moved to Haiti, I worked off and on as an E-rate consultant working with teachers and staff to make sure every student at their schools would learn how to use the internet and also have high-speed internet access.
So it was natural that when I returned to Haiti last year with 10 donated laptops from Drexel University and over 30 desk top computers from Philadelphia Biblical University and Bucks County Community College that I would seek to help Haitian schools offer their students computer courses and an introduction to the internet.
In the past year and a half I have provided desk top computers to 3 Christian schools and also have opened a small cybercafé. The cybercafé provides an opportunity to help introduce Haitian students to the internet, and also as a source of income in Haiti for Ambassadors in Sport – Haiti.
While visiting the schools near the cybercafé to tell them about our grand opening and invite students to come and visit us, I found out that of the 9 schools in our area, only 2 had any computers at all. The other 7 had no computers and no way of introducing information technology to their students.
So in conjunction with a Haitian friend who has lots of education and experience in teaching computers, we put together a program where we will bring our laptops to these schools and introduce students to computers, the internet, word processing and spreadsheets. In an effort to keep the price affordable for students so that as many as possible can benefit from the training, we figured out a way to offer “volume pricing” where the more students sign up, the lower the price will be.
Today we visited this school to try and encourage more students to take advantage of this course. As we talked to these well-behaved students in their uniforms, beads of sweat formed on our temples. Not because we were nervous, but because these high school students were crowded into a room with half-height walls 30-40 in a class sitting on wooden benches while all the other classes were going on around us so we had to yell to be heard. There was no air-conditioning, no carpet to absorb the echo of all the teachers yelling to be heard, and no comfortable chairs for the students to sit on – only hard wooden benches. There were not even any fans because the school only has enough electricity to power a single light bulb in each room. The only teaching “technology” in these rooms were a blackboard and chalk. Yet these students listened to us and asked some very good questions. Only about ¼ of each class had ever touched a computer, and some of them were about to graduate!
Please pray for this initiative which we plan to start in March after Haitian state exams are done.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
TREC Training: Topics that were addressed and special visitors
The two main topics addressed at the TREC training from Dec. 26 to Jan 4th were how to start and train an evangelistic soccer team and how to use soccer for Evangelism.
Thanks to no less than 7 soccer coaches from the US and Brazil, the Haitian participants got great coaching and are well-prepared to work with their teams.
In addition, they got to see first-hand how soccer can be used for evangelism because we organized a game between the Haitian Coast Guard and a local radio station called Megastar. Because the sound system did not work until the middle of the game, no one knew about the game at first. But by the time the game was over and we were doing the drawing for the prizes there was a crowd of about 200-300 people.
However, there were many other topics addressed at the seminar including Strategic Planning, Budgeting, Christian Stewardship and Fund Raising, Basics of Health Education, Managing a tournament and Conflict Resolution based on a book called “Peacemakers”.
There were also 3 special guests who visited us during the seminar:
1. Roger Derpilus, a Haitian who is being sent as a missionary to Senegal by the first ever Haitian missionary society called “Vision d’Antioch”. We want those who are influencing the next generation of Haitians a heart for the unreached in other nations.
2. Dan Carl who is the country director for “Book of Hope” Ministries in Haiti. The “Book of Hope” is a comic-book like booklet that reviews the life of Jesus and presents the Gospel. There are several versions of the booklet geared for different aged children and youth. Their goal is to put a booklet into the hands of every student in Haiti. We are helping them by distributing these excellent ways to share the Gospel with children in the schools we are working with. (www.bookofhope.com)
3. Antoine Craan works for the Haitian Soccer Federation and is in charge of training and supervising all the referees in Haiti. He was kind enough to review the most difficult rules of soccer with our participants.
Thanks to no less than 7 soccer coaches from the US and Brazil, the Haitian participants got great coaching and are well-prepared to work with their teams.
In addition, they got to see first-hand how soccer can be used for evangelism because we organized a game between the Haitian Coast Guard and a local radio station called Megastar. Because the sound system did not work until the middle of the game, no one knew about the game at first. But by the time the game was over and we were doing the drawing for the prizes there was a crowd of about 200-300 people.
However, there were many other topics addressed at the seminar including Strategic Planning, Budgeting, Christian Stewardship and Fund Raising, Basics of Health Education, Managing a tournament and Conflict Resolution based on a book called “Peacemakers”.
There were also 3 special guests who visited us during the seminar:
1. Roger Derpilus, a Haitian who is being sent as a missionary to Senegal by the first ever Haitian missionary society called “Vision d’Antioch”. We want those who are influencing the next generation of Haitians a heart for the unreached in other nations.
2. Dan Carl who is the country director for “Book of Hope” Ministries in Haiti. The “Book of Hope” is a comic-book like booklet that reviews the life of Jesus and presents the Gospel. There are several versions of the booklet geared for different aged children and youth. Their goal is to put a booklet into the hands of every student in Haiti. We are helping them by distributing these excellent ways to share the Gospel with children in the schools we are working with. (www.bookofhope.com)
3. Antoine Craan works for the Haitian Soccer Federation and is in charge of training and supervising all the referees in Haiti. He was kind enough to review the most difficult rules of soccer with our participants.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Fasting & praying for our friend, Susette Manaserro
Our friend, Susette Manaserro, another missionary here in Port-au-Prince, was diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve. Apparently she is in 2nd stage Hodgkins Lymphoma. She is married and has young children. One of her daughters is Joy's closest friend here. She is in the States now along with her husband and one of the children to get treatment. Two of their daughters are still here attending school at QCS.
My friend Nehemie suggested that we fast and pray for Susette. This afternoon seemed like the perfect time to start because Richard and Grace are away in Cap Haitien and...well, it just seems right.
Grace shared something with us while she was here about faith. (She said she heard this somewhere...) She said something like... sometimes God moves the "mountain" when we pray in faith and sometimes His plan is for us to go up to the top. In that case we have a tough road ahead, but God has something better in mind--a mountain top experience. Sorry I don't know who to give the credit to :/
So, I'm praying for God to move the mountain and to take care of this whole family. They are some of the sweetest, most generous, most joyful, faithful and full-of-faith people you could ever meet.
I've been thinking about how last August I started praying for 3 people who were battling cancer while I was walking on the treadmill. Somehow I found that I really focused on praying for them longer and I felt I was not wasting my time. (The 3 people were: my cousin, Kathleen, Richard's cousin's wife, Jessica, and Kimberly, who started supporting us when she was only about 13). Since that time, Kimberly, who had already been getting treatment for months, has recovered, and has raised about $30,000 to help cancer patients; Kathleen went home to be with the Lord on December 6th and Jessica is still undergoing treatment. Although at times I struggle with unsettling thoughts about how Jessica is so young, the mother of two young girls, so intelligent, beautiful and gracious. How Kimberly was so young, so intelligent, about to finish college when cancer interupted her life. How Kathleen was only a few years older than me and we were only at the "middle" of our lives. How Susette was doing so much to help street kids here in Haiti. On Christmas of '06 about a dozen girls who were living in the streets had a cozy home where they could celebrate Jesus' birth. But I trust that God's plan is better than my plan. I don't know all He knows.
My friend Nehemie suggested that we fast and pray for Susette. This afternoon seemed like the perfect time to start because Richard and Grace are away in Cap Haitien and...well, it just seems right.
Grace shared something with us while she was here about faith. (She said she heard this somewhere...) She said something like... sometimes God moves the "mountain" when we pray in faith and sometimes His plan is for us to go up to the top. In that case we have a tough road ahead, but God has something better in mind--a mountain top experience. Sorry I don't know who to give the credit to :/
So, I'm praying for God to move the mountain and to take care of this whole family. They are some of the sweetest, most generous, most joyful, faithful and full-of-faith people you could ever meet.
I've been thinking about how last August I started praying for 3 people who were battling cancer while I was walking on the treadmill. Somehow I found that I really focused on praying for them longer and I felt I was not wasting my time. (The 3 people were: my cousin, Kathleen, Richard's cousin's wife, Jessica, and Kimberly, who started supporting us when she was only about 13). Since that time, Kimberly, who had already been getting treatment for months, has recovered, and has raised about $30,000 to help cancer patients; Kathleen went home to be with the Lord on December 6th and Jessica is still undergoing treatment. Although at times I struggle with unsettling thoughts about how Jessica is so young, the mother of two young girls, so intelligent, beautiful and gracious. How Kimberly was so young, so intelligent, about to finish college when cancer interupted her life. How Kathleen was only a few years older than me and we were only at the "middle" of our lives. How Susette was doing so much to help street kids here in Haiti. On Christmas of '06 about a dozen girls who were living in the streets had a cozy home where they could celebrate Jesus' birth. But I trust that God's plan is better than my plan. I don't know all He knows.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
We wish all of you a happy, healthy, new year for 2008.
May you sense His presence, know His will for your days and Grow to love Him more every moment. We thank God for all He has done this year to keep us safe and healthy and able to serve Him.
Thank you for reading our blog. Of course, since it's that time of year,
we're making resolutions to write more frequently. We've been really busy this month with the end of the quarter at school, Christmas and of course, the TREC training. Today I will be posting several entries now that I got Richard to come home for a few hours and we got some pictures.
May you sense His presence, know His will for your days and Grow to love Him more every moment. We thank God for all He has done this year to keep us safe and healthy and able to serve Him.
Thank you for reading our blog. Of course, since it's that time of year,
we're making resolutions to write more frequently. We've been really busy this month with the end of the quarter at school, Christmas and of course, the TREC training. Today I will be posting several entries now that I got Richard to come home for a few hours and we got some pictures.
Soccer Match
The emphasis for the first 2 days of training was on soccer and evangelism.
Pastor Sony Camilus of Campus Pour Christ in Haiti did the evangelism training. Then we gave the participants the
opportunity to put what they learned into practice by organizing an exhibition soccer game between the Haitian Coast Guard team and the Radio Megastar team. It was an exciting match with each team trading goals until the Coast Guard team finally prevailed 3-2. But was even more exciting was that over 300 people attended the game and filled out response cards. Many indicated that they had trusted in Christ!
Pastor Sony Camilus of Campus Pour Christ in Haiti did the evangelism training. Then we gave the participants the
opportunity to put what they learned into practice by organizing an exhibition soccer game between the Haitian Coast Guard team and the Radio Megastar team. It was an exciting match with each team trading goals until the Coast Guard team finally prevailed 3-2. But was even more exciting was that over 300 people attended the game and filled out response cards. Many indicated that they had trusted in Christ! A Defining Moment
There are certain times in your life when you get a glimpse of why God created you. One of those times is when you hold your children in your arms for the first time. They look up at you and you understand the joy of seeing a new life just begun.
I had another moment like that after our evangelistic soccer match. I was heading toward the truck after the game, exhausted and just wanting to get things packed up and get back to the guesthouse so I could rest. As I approached the car, I saw several of our participants talking to a young man with a soccer ball in his hand. It turned out that the young man named Louis James had just won the soccer ball in the drawing we had just held for those who turned in their response cards. The conference participants were very excited and introduced me to James and told me that he would like to trust Christ as his Savior. I talked to the young man and shared with him some Bible verses and then he started his new relationship with Christ that very moment!
This is the second birth that the apostle John talks about in John 3. To me it was just as exciting as the birth of any one of my children – and this second birth means that I will see Louis in heaven and spend eternity with him!
There are certain times in your life when you get a glimpse of why God created you. One of those times is when you hold your children in your arms for the first time. They look up at you and you understand the joy of seeing a new life just begun.
I had another moment like that after our evangelistic soccer match. I was heading toward the truck after the game, exhausted and just wanting to get things packed up and get back to the guesthouse so I could rest. As I approached the car, I saw several of our participants talking to a young man with a soccer ball in his hand. It turned out that the young man named Louis James had just won the soccer ball in the drawing we had just held for those who turned in their response cards. The conference participants were very excited and introduced me to James and told me that he would like to trust Christ as his Savior. I talked to the young man and shared with him some Bible verses and then he started his new relationship with Christ that very moment!
This is the second birth that the apostle John talks about in John 3. To me it was just as exciting as the birth of any one of my children – and this second birth means that I will see Louis in heaven and spend eternity with him!
TREC - a good start
They came from the North, they came from the South, in all, Haitian representatives came from 6 out of the 9 “departments” around Haiti. On Wednesday, December 26, 2007 about 45 Christian leaders and school teachers came to Port-au Prince to participate in a 10 day intensive training program on how to start and in some cases continue evangelistic soccer teams in their churches and schools. 
These men made great sacrifices to come to this training: First they gave up most of their Christmas & New Year’s holiday to come to this training, and second, most of them paid their own way to come. In one case, 3 coaches left the north coast of Haiti at 2 AM and arrived in PAP at 6 AM after traveling over the roughest (and dustiest) roads imaginable.
The seminar kicked off with two special guests: Ian Moore, the founder and president of the Association of Christian Athletics of Haiti, and his friend Georges Edeline. Georges Edeline is among the elite coaches in the US who have the USAF’s “A” license. He has over 40 years of coaching experience, and has helped many Haitian players get scholarships to play in the US. Among them is a well-known Haitian economist that has a radio program named Kesner Farrell who was one of his first recruits at George Washington University.
Since Georges was born in Haiti, he is fluent in Creole and loved being back on the soccer fields of Haiti where he grew up. Our coaches benefited greatly from his vast coaching experience, and his jovial demeanor that immediately attracted them to his style of teaching. Thank you, Georges!
These men made great sacrifices to come to this training: First they gave up most of their Christmas & New Year’s holiday to come to this training, and second, most of them paid their own way to come. In one case, 3 coaches left the north coast of Haiti at 2 AM and arrived in PAP at 6 AM after traveling over the roughest (and dustiest) roads imaginable.
The seminar kicked off with two special guests: Ian Moore, the founder and president of the Association of Christian Athletics of Haiti, and his friend Georges Edeline. Georges Edeline is among the elite coaches in the US who have the USAF’s “A” license. He has over 40 years of coaching experience, and has helped many Haitian players get scholarships to play in the US. Among them is a well-known Haitian economist that has a radio program named Kesner Farrell who was one of his first recruits at George Washington University.
Since Georges was born in Haiti, he is fluent in Creole and loved being back on the soccer fields of Haiti where he grew up. Our coaches benefited greatly from his vast coaching experience, and his jovial demeanor that immediately attracted them to his style of teaching. Thank you, Georges!
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