Nonprofit Org. U.S Postage PAID Willmar, MN PERMIT #667 Children of the Promise PO Box 123 Prinsburg MN 56281 Return Service Requested Anaella and Anaelle E-newsletter Needs List Children of the Promise is excited to announce that we will be putting out a monthly email newsletter. The goal of the new newsletter is to keep all of you better updated on what is going on in Haiti and with our babies. The newsletter will update you on the month’s admits and graduates, introduce you to Haitian and long-term staff in Haiti, and of course include lots of pictures and stories about our babies. We will also include a story each month on what is going on in the United States and in Canada. If you would like to join our emailing list, email Jamie Groen at [email protected]. We are getting low on the “basics” again. If you get the chance this week, put together a box for COTP of the following. We guarantee that it will be in the hands, or on the bottoms, of needy babies within a few weeks! • Diapers: Especially sizes 1-3 • Children’s snacks (see website for list of snacks) • Baby Lotion • Hand Sanitizer • Liquid Hand Soap • Because of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, we have been taking extra precautions with our staff and children. We have been going through a lot of sanitizer and soap! Thanks for Your Gifts! COTP has grown and changed much over the past 10 years. God continues to do incredible work through your service and donations. We appreciate your gifts greatly and it is our goal to honor your gift by limiting administrative costs and allocating the majority of it to our babies in Haiti. One way we try to do this is by limiting our printing and mailing. We follow US nonprofit guidelines by only sending tax receipts after one-time donations of $250 or more, or annual giving of $250 or more. We appreciate every donation, no matter the size. Please know that we appreciate each donation you make and that we are doing our best to make each dollar count in Haiti! Last Chance for 2011 Calendars We still have a few calendars left for this year. If you missed your chance to order, don’t fret, you can still get one. Don’t miss out on the chance to see our beautiful babies each day of the year! The calendars are also an excellent way to remember to be in prayer for the staff, babies, and work we are doing in Haiti. Email Jamie Groen at [email protected] if you would still like one. Cost $20. Children of the Promise Haiti For about a week now, there’s been a buzz of excitement in the baby house about Wilson and his amazing accomplishment. Wilson is walking! Wilson Jean was admitted into our care in March of 2009 after he was abandoned at a local hospital. At 8 months old, 10 lbs 13 oz; he was weak, malnourished, and completely unable to hold up his head. A physician evaluated Wilson and thought perhaps he was affected by congenital muscle dystrophy or cerebral palsy. Wilson’s road to walking was slow and steady but filled with major milestones, like the day he began to hold up his head and the day he pulled himself into a standing position for the first time. It’s been a joy and privilege to watch this boy blossom. He Winter, 2011 Wilson Jean, Walking at last loves to laugh and play. Until recently, it wasn’t uncommon to see Wilson walking backwards, on his hands and feet, kicking a soccer ball. Early one morning at the end of January, 2½ year old Wilson took his first solo steps. He started with an initial four steps. Then, visibly proud of himself, stopped to clap his hands before taking another five steps. Our nannies and volunteers, both long and short-term, have spent countless hours working with Wilson to help him achieve this goal. Now Wilson’s ready to face the world standing on his own two feet. He couldn’t be happier and we couldn’t be more thankful that God has blessed us with such a joyful and courageous young boy. By Amy Syres, our nurse Name: Anaelle and Anaella DOB: March 4, 2010 Admit Weight: 8 lbs and 11 lbs 4 oz. These twin sisters were admitted on the 29th of December. They were receiving help through our formula program, however, they were failing to gain weight due to the situation in their home. The girls have 3 older siblings, and their mother is struggling to make ends meet as she attempts to raise 5 kids by herself. In the last month we have Anaella at admit begun to see progress being made in both girls. Anaelle has gained 2 pounds and is moving around and feeding herself. Anaella has progressed a bit slower, gaining 1 pound, and she is still working on the crawling. Please pray for the development of these girls and that they can rejoin their family soon! Name: Djolande DOB: 4-17-2009 Admit Weight: 12 lbs Graduate Weight: 19 lbs Djolande was in our care for 3 months and recently graduated to return home to her mother. She made amazing progress in her time with us, gaining 7 pounds in just 3 months! We praise God for restoring Djolande and are blessed to have been a part of His work in her life. Haiti Canada USA E-mail Bud and Jan Bonnema Agape Flights CAP--11952 100 Airport Ave Venice, FL 34285 COTP-Canada c/o J and M DeJonge 995 Concession 2, R.R.1 Selkirk On. Canada N0A 1P0 Children of the Promise P.O Box 123 Prinsburg MN 56281 320-444-8180 Operations: [email protected] Adoptions: [email protected] Volunteers: [email protected] Finances: [email protected] www.childrenofthepromise.org Winter, 2011 Children of the Promise Scrub Drive COTP employs a Haitian staff of close to 60 local men and women. Most of this staff works each day to provide primary care for our children; as nannies, laundry workers, cooks, and cleaning staff. In order to provide a healthy, sanitary environment, we require that each of these employees wear scrubs to work. Since most of our ladies do not have money to buy them, we provide them with the scrubs. We are currently out of replacements. We are hoping that many of you can help us provide our employees with scrubs. Our goal is to get enough sizes and colors so that we can designate a color for each room. Here is our plan: • Navy or royal blue: Giraffe Room • Light blue: Boat Room • Forest green: Alligator Room • Light green: Elephant room • Maroon: Lion Room • Any with designs or patterns: Laundry and Cleaning Please help us by donating new or gently used scrubs, pants and blouses, of any size (S, M, L, XL) Like to sew? We have a simple design for making scrubs. If you are interested, call Jamie Groen at 320-444-8180 or send an email at [email protected]. Solar Update We have seen an amazing response from you since we proposed our solar project in the last newsletter. There was some apprehension in undertaking a project of this size, even though we knew it would have incredible value for us in the future. Our knowledge of solar systems has increased greatly thanks in part to your insight and referrals. We are also pleased to announce that we have raised $30,000! What is next? • We have placed our order for our solar panels through a dealer in Florida. We have been shopping around and taking quotes. • A group of electricians from a heating/cooling company in Florida has made plans to come down and install the system. The company performs these types of installations on a regular basis and has also done several of these types of missions trips before. • Location: We have decided to place the panels on the roof of the volunteer house, a 2-story cement structure. This location gives us the best combination of direct sunlight, accessibility for maintenance, and security. • Additional funds: Our original goal estimated the system to cost 35,000. Discounts from our dealer have brought the cost of the panels and hardware down below $30,000. However, if we are able to reach our original goal, then we plan to add a few other cost-saving elements to the system. The main addition is a solar water heating system, which would replace our propane and electric water heaters. Thank you for all your gifts and support! Thanks to all our volunteers who complete our ministry! When we describe how we actually operate our mission in Haiti, we often use the analogy of a triangle. We rely on groups of people to focus on three distinct and necessary areas. Our Haitian staff focusses on the basic needs of the kids: feeding them, bathing them, monitoring them, washing their clothing, and keeping things clean. Our long-term staff oversees the care of the children and the operation of our mission in Haiti: administering healthcare, admitting children, administrating employment, and uniting children with families. The final point to the triangle is the short-term volunteer. We rely on short-term people to bring energy and love to our children, focusing on the individual spiritual, emotional, and developmental needs of each child. Thanks to each of you who have filled this necessary part of the equation! Recent Volunteers (since September, 2010): • • • • • • Deb Syres, Dawn Parker, Kristin Petersavage Lynn and Brittany Goodwillie Marvin and Sharon Overway Rex and Donna Leach Kurt and Laura Visker Lydia Morton, Katrina Hartnett • • • • • • Alexandra Saper Neil and Mary Charpentier Shaun and Angel Mitchell Alan and Dorothy Koopmans Jan Cichowski and Julie Poel Jaclyn and Marcia Visbeen Winter, 2011 Children of the Promise Basketball Outreach Jenn Schenk is the most recent addition to our long term volunteer staff in Haiti, joining us this past December on a year commitment. Jenn has spent the last several years coaching basketball, soccer, and softball in the Fort Worth, TX area. Her passion for Haiti and desire to serve the babies is what brought her to Haiti. Her plan was to help in any way necessary, but she hoped to get to work with the community a bit. In February, Jenn is going to be starting a basketball program for area youth. She has coordinated with the school next door and will be using the basketball court there. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1-3, Jenn will teach the rules of basketball and continue to do what she knows, coaching. There has already been a huge response of kids interested. Youth will be assigned to a time based on where they live, with about 25 kids per group. Jenn’s Creole is steadily improving, but she has also recruited some local Haitian adults to help her. Jenn says, “The goal is to start to build better relationships with the kids and teach the importance of teamwork, responsibility, and rules of the games. Oh, and don't forget to have fun. I'm hoping to get to know the kids and their families better.” We need your help! Jenn has some equipment to start, but will need more (basketballs, cones, pennies). She would also love to get uniforms at some point. To get involved contact Jamie Groen at [email protected]. Maria Farewell The face of Maria O’Donovan has been one of the few constants at COTP over the past 5 years. In March, Maria will be moving on to begin the next adventure God has called her to pursue which includes marrying Arlyn Koopmans, another COTP volunteer.. Born and raised in Ireland, Maria began serving the babies of Haiti on October 18, 2006. Since then, she has blessed hundreds of babies and thousands of Haitians with her humble, servant heart and her tireless work ethic. As she reflects on her time in Haiti, Maria says, “My faith has grown so much in my time here; without all the excess and luxuries of home I've needed to rely on God more and sometimes too without all that extra stuff that we are surrounded by at home I think it's been easier to see God here.” Maria’s best and most difficult memories all deal with the kids. Her best days were seeing orphaned children getting to go home through adoption. She also loved seeing our graduates return with their biological families and running to her for a hug. Her most difficult moments were losing babies and having to call families to let them know the sad news. Maria said, “When I think of my time here the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:10 comes to mind. We are nothing without God and with Him everything is possible.” In addition to blessing the people of Haiti, Maria has also left her mark on each volunteer who has served in Haiti alongside her. Katie Burchfield served long term with Maria in Haiti. She said, “Over the years, and through all the changes COTP has gone through, Maria has been steadfast. Maria has always had a wisdom beyond her years, which I'm sure has only grown because of her years in Haiti. She is a treasure, and I'm so grateful to the Lord for sending her to COTP. He knew that I needed her, and that COTP did too.” Thank you Maria, you will be dearly missed!