A New Chapter of Life

If life is a journey, God seems to take us down little paths and then turn us onto a different road at some point. Sometimes we don’t understand at the time, but He sees the big picture.

I have entered into a new chapter of my life. I am now a sophomore in college and an International Studies major. God has continued to give me new experiences on the mission field. I have spent a week in Mexico, a week in Haiti, and 4.5 weeks in Guatemala City. In early 2015, I hope to travel to Ecuador for 10 days. In late 2015, I hope to return to Haiti.

I have been thinking a lot about the Hope Hill project. God used that initiative to teach me SO many things! And since returning from Haiti, I have raised over $25,000 for La Montagne. But lately I’ve been sensing that God is calling me personally in another direction. I believe He has wired me to work in different cultures, in different seasons of my life.

I also believe that right now He is calling me to focus on my studies and the mission opportunities He’s given me. With that, I have decided to close this fundraiser and website for now. All the funds that have been raised for Hope Hill will be entrusted to A Child’s Hope—the organization I have partnered with in Houston, which is preparing to build the orphanage and academy that is so needed in La Montagne. I may still post updates from Haiti on this blog, but it will be about what A Child’s Hope is doing down there.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed for and financially contributed to this project! God is working in Haiti, and I can’t wait to see what He does in the next few years. You can learn more about A Child’s Hope here: http://www.achildshope.org/

God bless y’all! Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. J

A Child's Hope

The second annual “A Child’s Hope” charity gala went well! Instead of writing up another post, you can go here to read all about it! J

Upcoming Gala!

It’s that time of year again! The time for the 2^nd Annual Charity Gala for A Child’s Hope! At the inaugural event last year, an incredible amount of funds were raised, and it was an all-around smashing success.

I would encourage any of you who are able to, to attend this gala! You’ll have the opportunity to learn about what’s going on in Haiti on La Montagne, discover the vision of “A Child’s Hope,” and more!

Gala tickets can be purchased here!

Christmas Update

It has been far too long since I posted an update here. Please accept my sincerest apologies! There are not good excuses.

 

This past year has been full of surprises for me. I thought that I would have surely returned to Haiti by now. I thought I would have helped lead a short term missions team there through A Child’s Hope. I thought I would have finished raising the money for Hope Hill. I thought ACH would have broken ground for their academy already.

 

But I am so thankful to serve a God who is omniscient (all knowing.) His plan is always better than mine. My understanding is finite!

 

So what is happening in 2014? I continue to raise funds for A Child’s Hope. So far, $25,000 out of $70,000 has been raised. We’re only $10,000 away from the halfway mark! Even though the fundraising has gone slower than I expected, God has continued to provide.

 

I also hope to return to Haiti this summer, if God keeps the doors open. He so clearly closed the doors this past year. But I trust that He has burdened my heart for a reason, and I am willing to follow after Him wherever that leads. I am praying that He leads me back to Haiti sometime this year. J

 

A Child’s Hope continues to press on in their fundraising efforts. The money raised for Hope Hill is ultimately going towards their effort in Haiti, because we are working together for the same goal. ACH is planning their 2^nd Annual Fundraising Gala in Houston, TX for April 4^th. If you are interested in attending, you can visit their website and purchase tickets here.

 

Thank you all for your continued prayers for this initiative! I cannot wait to see how God works in 2014.

Fundraising Update

Finally! A moment to post an update on Hope Hill and what’s going on with things! Life has been extremely busy lately, so I’ll keep this update short and sweet:

1.) Funds. I am still working to raise funds for Hope Hill, and the numbers have continued to go up! Later this week, I will update the thermometer on the right.

2.) Where Funds Go. As a result of our move to Texas and my partnership with A Child’s Hope, we now have a new place to direct funds! Rather than going through our church in Michigan, donations can now be made out to “A Child’s Hope” with “Hope Hill” in the memo line. Those checks can be mailed to:

A Child’s Hope

16545 Village Drive, Bldg A

Jersey Village, TX 77040

3.) Valencia. My precious little girl continues to do well in Haiti! With her sponsorship, she is now being tutored and is catching up in school. I am anxious to see her again, and am praying about a return trip to La Montagne in 2014.

That’s all for now! I appreciate all of you who are praying for this project! Soli Deo Gloria!

Fundraising Update!

As I enter into a new phase of life (post-high school), I have had to reevaluate a lot of things. One of those has been this blog. I am hoping to start a new blog to specifically chronicle the things I am doing to prepare for life, outside of the traditional college realm. I am still raising funds for Hope Hill, and intend to meet my goal of $70,000, through God’s strength.

Beginning next week, I will be posting on the Hope Hill blog once a week. The posts will vary, sometimes being an update, other times a Haitian proverb, or pictures another time. My goal is to keep my faithful readers up-to-date on the progress in Haiti, while still giving myself a bit more time to focus on other things.

Today, I am excited to announce a big jump in funds. For my high school graduation party, I asked guests to give towards Hope Hill in lieu of .gifts. As a result, over $2,500 was raised for the project!! That means our new total is $17,909! God is so good!

Update on the Gala

Talking about the Summer Missions trips through A Child’s Hope with some of the guests at the Gala.

Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers for the gala this past weekend! It was so clear that we were covered in prayer. First, we did NOT get lost driving through Dallas and Houston. We made it to Houston on time, and to the ballroom where the event was being held on time. We were able to get everything set up and have a happy reunion with the missionaries a few hours before the gala started. :-) It was SO good to see them both again after so many months!

 

I was a bit nervous about how things would go, but the gala was a smashing success. We had over 300 guests, and the amount of money raised for A Child's Hope far exceeded our hopes and expectations. God is so good!

 

I also had the opportunity to talk with a fair number of people at my booth about our summer missions trips. Please pray that God would continue to raise up people who will come and serve with us on the ground in Haiti.

 

I'm afraid I don't have time to give a more detailed update, but I thought you'd like you know how things went (you can read more about the gala by clicking here.) Thank you so much for your prayers for this event!

 

Gala Coming Up

This past month has flown by, filled with preparations for the upcoming fundraising gala for “A Child’s Hope.” As the trip coordinator, I have been quite busy completing a number of projects in preparation. I have communicated extensively with travel agents, the missionary, the President of ACH, and others to calculate the cost to send teams down to Haiti. I have also designed a brochure to promote the trips, and created all the forms people need to fill out to apply for our trips.

Even though there was a bit of stress and adrenaline in trying to complete all of that in just 3 weeks, I had so much fun doing all of it! I enjoy being so involved with Haiti while still being able to stay at home and keep up with my homeschool studies. I am also really looking forward to being back in Haiti this summer!

So please be in prayer this weekend for the gala. Pray that many people would come, many would apply for our two trips this summer; that I would be able to answer all the questions that will come my way, and that the fundraising aspect would be a success. And that we don’t get lost in Houston. J I look forward to posting an update sometime next week!

Touching Gift

Last Thursday night, we were all sitting innocently around the dinner table enjoying a family dinner before Dad and the twins left for a Father Daughter Retreat the next morning (more on that tomorrow.) Suddenly, all my siblings get up and go upstairs together. I thought they had some kind of surprise for Mom and Dad. I kind of wondered why I had been left out of the surprise…

When they came back down, they had a tin box in their hands. They placed it in front of me. Completely caught-off guard, I opened the lid. Inside was loose change, lots of $1 bills, a few $5's and a $20. On top was a note that read "Bianca's Orphanage Project." For months, my siblings have been squirreling away money to give me. Their "golden goal" was $100.

Inside that little tin box was $102.67! I was so humbled by their initiative and thoughtfulness, especially when they all pointed to Josiah as the one who came up with the idea. I'm more impressed by the fact that they kept this a secret for so long. J I was so touched! I am so incredibly blessed by my siblings! J

Fundraising Milestone

If you keep your eye on the fundraising widget to the right, you may have already noticed the big jump in donations, but I had to blog about it too. This past month, I received a $5,000 donation towards the project! This brings the total amount raised to over $12,000!!! God is so good! Beni swa Letènèl!

Update

I’ve been posting a lot of great quotes, songs, and prayers on this blog lately, but not a lot in the way of updates about this project. There has been a steady stream of things going on related to the Hope Hill project. As you may have noticed from the fundraising thermometer on the side bar, the funds have continued to increase. Over the past three weeks, the amount of money donated towards the project doubled! I received several very large donations that have made a big dent! I can’t wait to reach the $5,000 mark!

 

I have continued to talk with a number of non-profit organizations about partnering with the project. I’m waiting to hear back from a few of them before I proceed with fundraising, etc. Hopefully I’ll have a bit more direction in the next week or two.

 

God has been teaching me a lot through this project so far. He’s been teaching about waiting on Him and humbling myself before Him. Lots of time has been spent in prayer for direction, and for the people in Haiti. I know God has called me to minister to the people of Haiti. How that will all come about is still unclear. But I just have to be obedient one step at a time.

 

Before I close, please be in fervent prayer for the people of Haiti. Hurricane Sandy hit the country pretty hard. From the reports I’ve heard, Port-Au-Prince is flooded again. Southern Haiti (where La Montagne is) sustained a lot of damage. Imagine living in a tent and trying to survive a hurricane. That would be hard enough for a grown person. Now imagine being a single parent and trying to protect your children as muddy water swirls around your ankles. You know that you may not have a shelter by the time the storm passes.

 

You can read more on the Hurricane here and here. These articles were written by a missionary in Port-Au-Prince. The images and video are hard to watch. My heart breaks for this nation that is continually suffering from various natural disasters. God is not done with the nation of Haiti! I know a God who brings healing and revival. May He bring that to Haiti!

Jehovah Jireh: God Our Provider

God continues to remind me that He is the One in control of the Hope Hill Orphanage Project, not me. Whenever I begin to doubt His provision, He sends me another reminder as if to slap me on the wrist and say “Excuse me? I AM GOD!!! I will take care of this!”

 

Last weekend, I was beginning to wonder if I was going to get a response from the letters I had sent out. I kept thinking of the $70,000 and what a big number it appears to be. We returned home from a trip to Pennsylvania late Sunday evening. As I was going through the stack of mail, I found a letter from a good family friend. I opened the letter to find a note of encouragement and support.

 

I looked at the sponsorship card, and did a double-take when I saw the amount of money this person had given as a one-time gift. I quickly pulled out the check to look at the amount again. I was floored. This person had given a HUGE donation to the project that I was not expecting at all! God once again proved that He is the One who will provide for the orphans in Haiti, not Bianca. I’m just one of the tools He has chosen to use.

 

Every day I am awed by the fact that He has chosen me to do this. Sometimes I ask “Why me?” I will never have the answer to that question. Some days that “Why me?” is more of a complaint. This project is overwhelming for a girl who hasn’t even graduated from high school yet. Other days that “Why me?” is more of a realization that I don’t deserve this. Out of all the 6+ billion people in the world, He gave this burden to me. He bestowed His saving grace on me when I had rejected Him. I don’t deserve any of the blessings He has given me. The responsibility of this project is great, but the privilege of being used by God is even greater. I’m so thankful that He is Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider! He is sovereign and in control of everything. Beni swa Letènèl!

First Sponsorship!

Yesterday I received a phone call about someone interested in sponsoring the orphanage project! This person is giving very generously towards the project, and I’m so excited to have that first commitment!

 

Just the day before this sponsorship came through, I had confessed to Mom that I was a little disappointed. I had received my first commitment card back, and the person had committed to pray but hadn’t been able to help financially. I told Mom that it felt as though I was amassing an army of cheerleaders when there was no one willing to play in the game. Mom reminded me that prayer is and must be the foundation of any work for the Lord.

 

I was a bit frustrated, but God is always faithful. He has reminded me over and over again that this is HIS project, not mine. He will provide if this is truly His will!

 

God's Math

310 address labels

155 letter-sized envelopes (hand-addressed)

155 check-sized envelopes

155 sponsorship cards (check-sized)

155 double sided copies of a 1,090 word letter

155 hand signatures

 

I hope the Lord multiples the above equation into $70,000!