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November/December 2014
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Winding down

 

As we approach the end of the year, things are slowing down here at the guesthouse. I'll only have a handful of guests between now and December 17th when I fly home for a two week break. This year has flown by but I have really enjoyed my time with Family Health Ministries. We've hosted around 300 guests this year. No wonder I'm feeling tired! :) Even with all the guests I've been able to find time to visit with the kids at Hope For Life Children's Home, spend time with other missionaries here, and travel around Haiti a bit. It's been a unique year of reflecting on what I've been involved with in Haiti up to now and how God is shaping me for the future. 
 

Plans for 2015


While most of next year is still up in the air, I do know one piece of the puzzle. I will finish up my position as In-Country Coordinator for FHM by the end of February. This was a decision I made after much prayer and consideration. My contract with FHM ends at the end of 2014 but I have offered to come back after Christmas and help them interview, hire, and train a new person for this position. We hope to hire someone by February 1st and I will overlap with him or her for the month of February. After that handover my plan is to head back to Tennessee for a few months. My time home for Christmas will be sweet but very short. I'm looking forward to a longer time at home next Spring to reconnect with family and friends and enjoy a time of refreshment. So if I don't see you in December, I hope we can get together then!

Some specific plans while home next Spring:
 
  • A one week sabbatical in a quiet cabin in the woods. During this time I will unplug from the world and draw near to the Lord in prayer and study of His Word. I'll also use the week to work through some re-entry material I have for missionaries coming back from the field.
  • I plan to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans' Summit in Nashville April 30 - May 1. I'm looking forward to learning from organizations and individuals who are helping orphans and vulnerable children around the world with wise and gospel-centered approaches.
  • I will be praying through ministry opportunities that I already know about and any new ones that I may find and trust that in God's timing, He will lead me to whatever is next.

Things I've learned

 
This year has been very unique. I knew that on top of enjoying the hospitality responsibilities with the guesthouse, taking this job would allow me a nice base of operations for other ministries I've been involved in here. I knew that this year would be a year of planning, organizing, and reflecting. Certainly I've been able to use the time well to plan and organize for the children's home. We've made great progress in tackling some important projects and establishing a monthly sponsorship program. As for reflecting, I've tried to be intentional to read and learn and visit with others serving in Haiti. I've learned some things about myself this year. While I'm so thankful for the past two years of striking out pretty independently here in Haiti and being involved in some incredible projects, I feel that for me to be most effective for the Kingdom, I need to be better connected to a Christian community. More specifically, I want to serve again with a missions community that is intentional about spreading the gospel and making disciples. So as I move forward, I will be looking at opportunities to serve with a team or mission board/organization that has other missionaries/workers on the ground nearby. I've also learned a lot by reading, online resources, and observation that good intentions are not enough in places like Haiti and that development work, including work done for the Kingdom, should be done with a great deal of wisdom and a background of experience. While I am encouraged by programs in Haiti that have been done well, I've also been discouraged by many that haven't. As I look ahead at what's to come, I'll be paying attention to organizations who are doing things well, who are focused on helping without hurting, and who are committed to using local believers to accomplish sustainable goals.

And I suppose that it should be said... I'm not completely done in Haiti no matter what happens. I'll stay connected to the children's home and continue to help them. But I'll be praying about the best way to help them and others here in the future whether I come back to Haiti long-term or eventually move elsewhere.
 








I'll be spending Thanksgiving with some special friends a few towns over. Then I'll head to the mountains for the weekend with a missionary who moved down here a few months ago. She's also the only American in Haiti with her organization so we're going to enjoy the weekend encouraging each other and being refreshed by the crisp mountain air and incredible views!

However you're spending Thanksgiving this year, I hope you'll have time to reflect on the many blessings that God has provided. Even when our circumstances are changing, are unknown, or seem overwhelming, God is faithful and His blessings of love, kindness, and mercy are always there for us. 

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of YOU!"
(Philippians 1:3)

Many blessings,
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It's been the best year hanging out with all the kiddos at Hope For Life! I'm so thankful for the progress we've been able to see there this year... new mattresses, more food, a new well, a finished church floor, painted classrooms, new textbooks, a mama cow, and more! One of their biggest needs right now is for more monthly sponsors. For more information on how you can help click here.
I've continued to help Evenson's family as I've been able. With some donations from many of you, we helped the mom start up a business selling cosmetic products and making an organic oil used on hair. We've also helped with their food insecurity through mealpacks and buying groceries. Evenson has been sick for some time and hasn't been able to work. We were able to get him to another clinic for testing and he's been on medication that has been helping with the pain and discomfort. Thank you for continuing to pray for this family!
I've been able to keep up with Smerelda's family a lot these past few months. I try to visit every couple of weeks. Smerelda is a miracle baby but still only weighs a little over 15 pounds at two years old. Suffering from such severe malnutrition last year will forever stunt her growth and development but we pray that her future is bright and that her mother can better care for her from now on. She has a baby brother who's three months old, and the same size as her. And her older brother Jixson (4) who will finally start preschool in January thanks to your donations.
Even though I've been tied to the guesthouse this year I've still made time for some adventures. I went up with my friend Tania to see some old friends in the village of Chevrine. There's a road now so we rode a motorcycle the whole way!
This is how to cross a river on a motorcyle!
This little bundle of joy was born Sept 4th to one of the workers at the children's home. They asked me to help come up with a name for her. (It's common for babies in Haiti to be named a few days after they're born.) I gave them my suggestions but they settled on their own, Annabelle. Not a coincidence that my name is in it. So sweet!
Copyright © 2014 Mark & Hannah Langham, All rights reserved.


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