by Jordan Piper, NVM Intern

Our core NVM "family" started to undergo changes at the beginning of May. Brodie Herb (bottom row, white t-shirt) headed back to the States after being at NVM for 8 months. She will be getting married in august; Head nurse Aubree Dell (bottom row, Army t-shirt) headed home for a month to refresh and to raise support for her new commitment of an additional 2 years (she has already been here for 2 years); GAiN USA Staff Jim Warner (top left), Cheryl Warner (bottom row 2nd from left) & their kids Jamie (blue shirt, bottom row, left) and Janessa (orange shirt, middle row, left) headed home a couple of days ago to take some time off to refresh and raise support; Intern Maggie Younker (bottom row, orange) will be heading home in mid-June after being here for 5 months and will be heading to England in September, where she will be interning with the International Justice Mission for a year; nurse E'tienne York (top row, middle, on my right) will be heading home at the beginning of July after being here for one year; nurse Brooke Smalley (to my left) has signed up for another year; our leaders Brandon & Katie Hutchens (top row, right) have also committed to stay for at least one more year!        

As you all know, I will be heading back to the States on July 17th. It has been an absolute blessing to work alongside this amazing group of people. We all like to use the word "family" to describe us, rather than the word "team". I am so thankful to have the opportunity to get to know each and every one of these people....my time here would not be the same if it weren't for this family! I could go on and on about each person individually, and the million stories we've all had together, but I will spare you the time. I will say thank you to my "second family" for all the wonderful memories we've had together, but those words are merely understatements.This may be the last photo together as our core "family"...but I pray that God continues to use each one of us in the next chapters of our lives. I have no doubt that we will all continue to serve the Kingdom of Heaven....whether God leads us here in Haiti or back in the United States.

I love that I get to watch and listen as people come and serve on short term mission trips.  It's fascinating to see how they process what God is teaching them and showing them in Haiti.  One team member told me that she had challenged herself personally to look for hope and that as each day passed she struggled because she couldn't see it.  She saw people living in tents, lack of electricity or running water, mud homes, and so forth.  It wasn't until the last day that God opened her eyes.  She was looking for hope defined by the world's standards and real hope has nothing to do with the world.  Our hope is in Jesus.  He will provide.  He is what we need and He has everything we need and more.  When I choose to look at the world through Christ's eyes it is amazing just how much hope there truly is.  All of a sudden the impossible has no boundaries and hope is never-ending.

Posted by Jim Warner, GAiN USA Missionary: 14 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

If you have been reading our blog you are aware that Cheryl has been teaching Haitian ladies jewelry making skills. The ladies are making beaded jewelry and baskets, and selling them at the Hope Gift Shop here on the mission team compound. These sales help to financially provide for their families! And supplies are required to keep this process moving forward. Well, we recently received a tremendous blessing!

A short time ago we lost a dear sister. Her name is Liz Manfredini. And Liz was a “beader.” She has now gone to be with the Lord. But before she left us, she told her husband Joe she wanted her beads donated to Haiti. ALL 400 POUNDS OF HER BEADS!! It goes without saying that this donation is a huge blessing to the ladies here in Haiti and will fuel their jewelry making efforts for a long time. 400 pounds is a lot of beads! And they are starting to make their way down here to Haiti – one suitcase at a time!

We are so grateful that God led Liz to make this donation. Countless families will be helped financially through the sale of beautiful jewelry made from the beads Liz and Joe have donated. We want to offer up our heartfelt thanks for this gift and we pray that it will be multiplied in the years to come. God is good. Even in life’s most difficult circumstances.

by Jordan Piper, NVM Intern

In 2011 I was certain of one thing in particular, regarding my future: I was going to spend 6 months serving at Nehemiah Vision Ministries in Haiti. Although I knew that's where God was leading me from January 16, 2012 to July 17,2012...I didn't know where I would end up after I returned to the United States. Many people prior to me arriving here, and people who were on short-term trips here at NVM, would ask me, "So, what are you doing when you get home?". That question began to resonate more and more on my heart. I had made it one of my top priorities in my prayers, asking for God's direction and guidance in what the next step was in my life. Even though I was concerned with this, I didn't want to become TOO consumed with it, that I would miss out on where I am NOW. So, as people continued to ask me, I simply responded, "We'll see where God leads me!". I would go on to describe that I had a passion for children and youth ministry...so that could possibly be an option somewhere down the road.

I remember one week in March, very specifically. It was the busiest week we've had here at NVM, since my arrival; there were 5 or 6 teams and around 120+ people on campus. There was one team in particular that I was excited to meet and work alongside; a team of twelve middle schools kids with their two counselors/leaders from Kanakuk (Christian youth camps). I had been volunteering a lot with the PreTeen/Youth Ministry at my home church in Raleigh, and absolutely loved it. I missed all those kids from home...so I was excited to meet these middle schoolers! I must say that these kids were absolutely amazing here. They got along so well with the Haitian children...it was awesome to see their interactions with each other. Both of their leaders called me aside at different times, to tell me that they absolutely loved how much I poured into their middle school team, and that they think I would do very well in youth ministry. This was very encouraging for me to hear..and very unexpected! To make a long story short(er), I felt like God brought this Kanakuk middle school team  here for a reason: to solidify the fact that I absolutely love youth ministry and need to pursue this as my next "step" in life.

I will be studying Youth Ministry at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, starting in the Fall of 2012. I will only have about a month-and-a-half turnaround between my arrival back in the United States and the first day of class. It's hard to believe that I only have 2 months and 10 days left here in Haiti. I am excited to see what God has in store for me for these next 2 months, as well as my first semester at Liberty University in the Fall! If you feel led to support me with my ministry here in Haiti, or would just like to help out with the expenses that go along with college, then I would greatly appreciate it! IF you don't feel led to support financially, that is completely fine. I would be more than happy with you simply praying for me as I spend the remaining 2 months here in Haiti and as I transition back into life back in the States and at Liberty University! You can never have too many people praying for you :)