What's Happening With The Stephenses

Just an update...

2010-04-19T09:57:00.001-07:00

Hello! Just wanted to say hi and update. We've been home from Haiti for almost two months now. We are still in contact with several folks there, three or four in particular. Reghi and Palto are still working on coming to the US, hopefully in May. We cannot get them Green Cards, which is what they need to join the Navy. So, we are praying and asking the Lord what He wants us to do. We would love to have them live here with us and send them to college, but even to send them community college, we need $20,000 a year. Ugh! But we know that if this is what is in the Lord's plans for them, He Will Provide. Something cool if they do come in May is that Palto will turn 19 on May 16th, and has never celebrated a birthday. We'd love to throw a big party for him, and invite anyone and everyone that can come. We love birthdays in this famliy!

Mikenson (the refrigeration tech) called yesterday to thanks us again and again for sending him money for food. He calls me "mom". :) He asked us to please help him go back to school again, for more certifications. The connection was horrible, so we couldn't get any details as to what he wants to study, but he will be calling back today. We think we heard him say that it will cost around $300 to go back to school.

We had an incredibly beautiful sunny spring day here yesterday, and the whole family worked in the yard for the whole day. Michael borrowed a friend's tractor, and tractored around all day. He tilled the garden (which will be HUGE this year!), cleared paths in the overgrown orchard for the kids to run around in (and eventually ride horses in...), and mowed the creek area and pasture. We sat in the sunshine for a few minutes in between and talked about Haiti. It's still so on our hearts, and we are anxious to go back. The kids are, too. Adria is saving her pennies to "give to some kids there".

We are praying and asking the Lord if going back to Haiti intermittently for the next few years is what He has planned for us. It sure is what we'd like to do, and we believe that when we earnestly seek Him, He will align our desires with His. With us homeschooling this next year, we will be able to all go as a famliy if He should provide. That is very exciting for us!

In other news...we now 8 chicks! We've had them for almost two weeks, and they have doubled in size! We shall soon have an abundance of farm fresh eggs.

Also, for those of you who don't already know - Michael is now a Certified Flight Instructor! He passed his exam almost two weeks ago, and did an awesome job of it. He's now working on his CFI-Instrument, then he gets to start fixed wing training. We are constantly amazed at the Lord's provision for this training. Thank-you Jesus!

May God Bless Your Day!

Love,
The Stephenses

This says it pretty well...

2010-03-09T22:06:00.001-08:00

Not Going Back to Life As Usual..

2010-03-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

First things first! Kalem accepted Jesus today. He told us about it when he got home from school. He was very peaceful and smiley about it. What a joy to see our children walking in the ways of the Lord.

Our lives have been changed! We've been waiting since we got home to see if our "spiritual high" would fade, and the longing for Haiti would subside. We thought, perhaps God has blessed us with a one-time experience of mission work, of actually getting to reach out and touch orphans and widows, and give them food, love, and the Word, and that's that. Perhaps He doesn't intend for us to go back...

Or, perhaps not. Our "high" has not subsided one bit. Our longing has only grown, somewhat due to the fact that our children all are still talking about wanting to go, even talking about living there (without too much initiation on our part). Also due to the fact that we are still involved with some people there, on the phone and email with them. There are still children who need advocates, adults who lean on those who seem to "have it all", and other missionaries who need support from those of the same culture. There are also some there who still call and ask Michael when he will come back and run things again. We also are still working with some young men who love the Lord and seek to work hard to make an honest, decent living, but need some resources to get started.

But, absolutely without a doubt, the single biggest reason we are still in love with Haiti, and are praying that the Lord will give us peace and contentedness untill He allows us to go back is because He's planted it in our hearts, and is watering it each day - His way and in His time. We are no longer afraid that God will not bless us in what He has given us to do. We ask boldly for Him to make the way, because we know He is good, and we know know know that He loves us. We are asking Him to go back to Haiti - at some point.

In the meantime, we ask for your prayers that we are always seeking what the Lord has for us, not for what our flesh would want (to go now). It's hard to always keep that focus, and your intercession there for us will be so appreciated!

One specific prayer request/plea for support that we have concerns a 21 year old young man that we came to know in the orphanage hospital. His younger sister was there for a broken femur, and he and another brother are all the family there is left. The night before we left, he approached Michael and I and asked if we could help him buy some tools, so he can work. He is a certified refrigeration technician. He graduated from school in 2007. He is extremely smart and hardworking, and no doubt would make a great repairman with his own tools.

He provided me with a copy of an estimate he got in Jun 2008 from a tool supplier for the tools he would need, along with a copy of his diploma. The total amount to buy the tools in US dollars is about $2800. We are asking that any of you who are willing and able to help this young man to please ask the Lord if it is something He would have you do. We have no idea if the Lord will provide all of the money or not, but we are putting it before Him and asking boldly! We will collect any support we receive and then send it via Western Union. While donating to the Red Cross is definitely wonderful and needed, this is a great way in a devastated country to really help someone specific with a known need.

Thank-you! We love you!

Loving God and Loving Others,
Michael and Fawn

2010-02-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

We are home!

2010-02-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that we are back safe and sound. We are glad to be home, but are having some trouble adjusting back to such a "slow" pace of life - that's not to say there is not plenty to do here...with school, and work, and kids' schedules...it's just that it doesn't "feel" as urgent or purposeful as saving peoples' lives and ministering to a greatly broken country and such. I'm sure we will be back to the usual routines, and happily so, within a few days. :)

We are beyond blessed to have been able to go to Haiti, and long to go back as soon and as often as the Lord will allow. We don't foresee being there long term within the next couple years, as Michael still has school and it just doesn't seem like that's where the Lord is leading us, for now. We do think that Haiti is in our lives for a long time to come, however, and are very grateful and excited for what the Lord will do in us and in the people there. We also very much want to take our kids there some time in the somewhat near future, if the opportunity should arise. When I asked Adria today what she wants to do for her birthday this week, she said (twice) "Go to Haiti." :)

We cannot possibly say thank-you enough to those of you who have supported us, be it through prayer, finances, watching the kids (and/or dog!), encouraging words, bringing meals before and after, and anything else that contributed to our being able to go. Our church body (Grace Baptist Church) has been incredible support and we are truly grateful. THANK-YOU!!

I still want to post some videos, and am working on making my own video from some of the pictures we have. I can't do it right now, but will get them up soon.

Love,
Michael and Fawn

New Life is in the NY TIMES!

2010-02-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

Our little orphanage (New Life Children's Home) is in the New York Times! We had a reporter and photographer come out a few days ago, and they wrote up a very nice story - the 12 year old boy, Mystil is one of the boys Michael and I sat with everyday and talked to (or at least attempted to talk to...:) Check it out...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/world/americas/13doctors.html

I've had a couple people ask me how they can donate to the orphanage. They have a website, where you can either donate or get contact info for the home office in FL (the parent organization is World Harvest for Christ Missions). It is: www.whmnewlife.org

God Bless!

Michael and Fawn

Church

2010-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

We had church under the mango tree today. Since the church building is being used as a hospital, the kids all meet under the tree for church on Sundays. We sang hymns Haitian style, heard a good message from the Word (Isaiah 42 and Psalm 115), sang happy birthday to 3 of our girls, and watched as 4 or 5 young people gave their lives to the Lord. It was AMAZING! God is good!

We leave in two days. Everyone keeps asking us, "when are you coming back?". That's the question of the hour. Lord, what would you have us do?

Love,
Michael and Fawn

Fun Day

2010-02-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

We got to go to the beach today!

This is a jellyfish that came floating along while we were swimming. He is friendly. :) Michael said he and his siblings used to throw them at each other when they were kids. That is not friendly.

A little time to relax

Does he look relaxed or what? He so needed this day of rest.

Prayer Request: This beautiful little girl needs a heart surgery badly. She was supposed to have it done Jan 14th, and then the earthquake happened the 12th. Her family is trusting the Lord with her, and even if there were a surgeon in Haiti who could do the sugery, her family has no money to pay for it. Please pray for her, and if you know anyone who might be able/willing to help, please let us know. Her name is Deve.

Love,

Michael and Fawn

We Have A Blog!

2010-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, there's nothing like an impromptu mission trip to a devastated foreign country to get your fire lit to communicate with everyone you love! We have been sending update emails with pictures attached but it will be much easier for us (and for you) to use this we think. Even though we are in the midst of the worst poverty we've ever seen, we can most of the time find internet and post pictures.

Michael has now been in Haiti for almost three weeks, and I have been here for 5 days. To risk sounding cliche, words cannot even begin to describe what it is like here. (That's why we have 750 pictures taken so far...) I won't write on and on trying to describe what's happening, but I will say this: GOD IS GOOD! We saw His hand today many times. He provided two truck loads of goods for the orphanage and the hospital - cases of baby formula, diapers, sheets, towels, food, milk, a nebulizer (!), a centrifuge (!!), and much more. We had no idea it was coming - we went to Quiaqueya school, where Humedica is headquartered, to get some IV needles and met a lawyer from Dominican Republic who wants to help orphanages with legal issues like adoptions and such. She had just come in with a box truck full of stuff that was supposed to have been dropped elsewhere, but the driver decided he didn't want to take it. So, she gave it to us. She also came back with us to meet the kids and talk to us more about what we need to navigate the collapsed (literally) legal system here.

We also went and saw the Navy Construction Batallion that is here, and they are coming here to our orphanage to fix our generator and rebuild our wall! They will also see what other building projects around the comound they can help with, maybe some roof repair on our church/hospital...? They are also very excited to play with the kids. :)

We then drove downtown and saw the palace that was the President's home. It is completely caved in. Today marks one month and the president declared today, tomorrow, and Sunday as days of fasting and prayer (to whom we're not sure...). So, they were holding demonstrations and prayers all day all over the city, especially at the palace. I also saw a vodou (voodoo) priest performing rituals in the street.

Michael is now teaching English to some of the hospital kids. It's their favorite time of the day. It might be because when I left there to do this post he was teaching them "Hello, my name is _____ and my dog is dumb. And my cat stinks."

We had to medevac out a patient today. He was Japanese, the pilots were German, and they were taking him from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. We are so multicultural!

Michael performing minor surgery on a man who had two lypoma cysts in his head. My first time watching surgery, and it's in a cement room in a church/hospital in Haiti! I am so impressed by my husband.

We were blessed with a nebulizer today! That is like medical gold, especially in this situation. This sweet little girl has had breathing issues her entire life (she's 2) and got her first treatment today. She was already clearing up about 30 min later.

While at Quisqueya School yesterday, we got to see (and meet, for me) Mr. and Mrs. Bittner. Dave Bittner was Michael's science teacher, basketball coach, and youth pastor while he attended school here as a teenager. It was a great reunion.

Downtown Port au Prince - this is cleaned up believe it or not.

The Presidential Palace. There are thousands and thousands of people living in makeshift tents right behind where I am taking this picture.

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All for now, I have a couple of videos to post - we'll see if the internet can handle it. That'll be later though; we are going to go for a drive through the countryside so Michael can show me the "other part" of Haiti. :o

Love,

Michael and Fawn