MTM GRAMOTHE HIGH SCHOOL

The MTM Gramothe High School has added grade 11 this year. In an effort to accommodate another grade level and more students, 2 new classrooms have been added to the existing structure.

Steps to each level of the Gramothe High School building have also been added...

Schools in Haiti opened up on Monday, September 7th. The Gramothe High School currently has approximately 215 students for grades 7-11, 83 of those students are new and only about 90 of these students have a sponsor who is offsetting the expense of their education. Would you or someone you know like to help? For $25 USD each month, you can help educate children in Haiti. By your faithful gift tuition is paid, the student receives a nutricious hot lunch each school day, medical assistance, book and uniform assistance as needed and numerous other educational opportunities to enrich their future.
Visit the MTM website today at www.mtmhaiti.com or email us to see how you can become a student sponsor.

MEET SOME OF OUR STUDENTS...

"Paula", age 13, is going to school for the first time ever this year. Coming from a family of 11, there is not much "privilege" that goes around, but this year will be different for Paula. This spring a church from Terre Haute, IN built a new home for Paula & her family changing their lives forever. Determined that Paula would go to school, her new sponsor, that has been waiting for 3 years to sponsor her, was delighted to get a new pair of tennis shoes to Paula to start school in. As you can see, Paula couldn't be happier! Aside from new shoes & going to school, she feels the hand of God reaching into her heart through a faithful servant in Indiana!

Pictured here with Willem are 6 children that will be going to school for the very first time. Our biggest delima has been, what grade to enter them into! The oldest is 11 & certainly cannot be put into a Kindergarten classroom, therefore, tutors from the higher grades will be used to help each child to fit into their appropriete grade level. Please pray for these children, their teachers, their tutors & their classmates as they step into this journey.

"Patrick" has reason to smile so big. From PreK 1 until 1st grade he was an excellent student, always at school & always doing well. Last year his parents decided that he would leave school to work in the fields. All year he watched his younger brother attend school while he labored in the fields. After speaking with one of our staff, she decided that Patrick would return to school. After much counseling with the parents, they consented to allow the boy back to school this year. Patrick was given a new backpack that had been brought with a team in August & our staff have been diligent to help Patrick get his uniform & books ready to return to school.

Would you like to sponsor a student or learn more about the Mountain Top Ministries Student Sponsorship program? Go to www.mtmhaiti.com & click on "Sponsorship", "Donor/Sponsor FAQs" or watch the MTM video & then, take action today!

We also accept & need your prayer support! Thank you, in advance, for helping us to pray for this school year, for our teachers & staff, for our students & their families &, for Haiti.

THE GRAMOTHE TILE CREW. WHO ARE THEY?...

There are always some students who are not able to go to school. Often, though they try, it is just a difficult task. MTM has done its best to help these students who are detirmined. One such student asked for help to become a 'tile boss' (one who is able to lay ceramic tile). We contacted his sponsor & after explaining the situation, they gladly donated a monotary gift for the student to recieve the needed tools to persue his chosen trade. Much to our great pleasure, when it came time to lay tile in the 2 new high school classrooms, our very own newly formed Gramothe Tile Crew was there to offer to do the job! Willem had to give them the job & was delighted to see the quality of work that they did, but also just who the crew was. The crew was made up of 4 former students who have left the school before graduating.
They are:

Eddy Augustine, tile boss

Wismane Faustin, crew hand

James Emile, crew hand

Bertrand Excellent, crew hand

The new school year in Haiti opens with the beginning of classes on Monday, September 7th. Enrollment is finished & MTM will be very close to 1,000 students this year in both the Gramothe (PreK1, 2 &3 through 11th grade) & Dumay (PreK 1, 2 & 3 through 6th grade) schools.
The staff at the schools, the lunch programs, medical care & tuition are paid by sponsors who committ to sponsoring a student for $25USD each month. Their faithfulness to this program detirmines the education of a generation in a country that often has no hope. At present, less than half of our students are sponsored & some of those sponsors are not able to be faithful in their giving.
We need your help.
Would you partner with MTM by sponsoring a student? If so, go to our website, www.MTMHaiti.com, click on "Sponsorship" & follow the prompts to register to sponsor a student today. An email will automatically be generated to our office & we will send you the profile of a student.
Are you already sponsoring a student? Encourage, or better yet, challenge a close friend or family member to sponsor a student. As always, if you need assistance with your sponsorship, please contact us.
Lastly, donations are also accepted either set up from our website with an automatic deduction from your account (follow "Sponsorship" prompts), or, as a one time donation (follow "Donate" prompts).
Either way, your giving is tax-deductible, but more than that, it's life changing!
Don't forget to accept our invitation to COME! MTM wants our sponsors & donors to come be a part of ministry taking place. We want you to come meet your student, see where they live, meet their family & know what you are investing in.
Thank you to all who are giving and coming to Mountain Top Ministries in Haiti.

FIXING THE ROAD TO GRAMOTHE...

We visited the United States in June with the news that spring rains had washed away much of the bottom portion of the road leading up the mountain to the village of Gramothe. By the end of June, the entrance area had been completely washed away leaving a 10' ledge from the river bed up to the road making it impossible for persons or vehicles to access.
Here is what it looked like from a distance, notice where the road stops...

Repairing the road has been an extensive work that will most likely continue through the rest of this year. The process, so far, has included renting a bull dozer to push the river rocks around to create a new road area as well as an area for the retaining wall.
As soon as we returned from our summer trip, a team of teens and adults from all around the U.S. came to help. These young people were to be commended for their labor in the intense heat & day to day "thrills" of working alongside of the Haitian workers throwing rocks on a truck & into baskets. Though their thoughts wondered for a bit, their fearless adult leaders kept them on track & well disciplined! We were grateful for their help & appreciate their efforts & example. A lot of work was accomplished that week...

Children came to help throw rocks on the truck.

Assembling the wire baskets.

First row of baskets.

Second row of baskets.

The repairs to this area are far from over. The road is now accessible but there is still at least one diversion wall to build, the retainer wall to be finished, re-routing of the river done & tree planting to do.

The spring rains were hard on other areas of the road too, therefore, other repairs were also needed...
For those of you who have made the trips up & down the mountain road, you will remember the beloved "switch back". It's the first turn in the road where the truck has to stop & do some turning in an effort to continue with its journey. While repairing the road at the river bed, Willem also created a little surprise for you...

YES, that is a wall you see! Security, or the thought of it, is a good thing :)
Next team in is September 30, they'll be the first to experience the newly repaired road to Gramothe, see you then!