Mountain Top Ministries

Mountain Top Ministries School

2011-10-13T12:13:00.004-06:00

It has been a while since MTM has made a blog post, so we're going to begin today by posting pictures from various aspects of the ministry work that we do in Haiti. Today we will start with our schools.

One of the MTM Gramothe Preschool Classes

The new school year began last month for the MTM students. Teachers and students were happy to return to classes. MTM was excited to note that our grade 6 students combined (both Gramothe and Dumay) had a 90% passing rate on their national exams. This is commendable! Of our Gramothe High School students, grade 9 had a 76% passing rate and grade 12 had 12 students out of 26 who passed the very difficult national exam.

MTM Gramothe High School students in class.

MTM students, grade Pre-K through high school graduation receive a quality Christian education, a hot lunch each school day, medical care as well as help with their school supplies. Each Wednesday they attend chapel services and starting next week, an immunization program hosted by the National Department of Public Health will take place. Along with Polio and DPT immunizations school-wide, an HIV seminar and voluntary testing will be provided for our high school aged students.

MTM students receive assistance from their teacher.

The MTM Gramothe and Dumay schools are only able to operate with your help through the Student Sponsorship Program. Sponsors pay $25 each month to provide free school with a hot lunch for each of our students. Other donations are also accepted and helpful to offset the cost of the lunch program, teacher salaries, books & supplies and building maintenance.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the MTM student sponsor family, please contact the MTM Indiana office today (812-870-3939).

Preschool students play on their playground equipment.

MTM Gramothe High School students benefit from the computer lab.

MTM Website Notice

2011-01-27T13:02:00.003-06:00

MTM has been experiencing some difficulty with on line giving.

Therefore, the MTM website will be getting some upgrades and other work done soon. While this is taking place, please send all donations to:

Mountain Top Ministries

P.O. Box 7053

Terre Haute, IN 47802

For assistance with an online donation or questions about your account you may call the MTM Office Manager, Deb Williams, at:

812-870-5101

This time of maintenance work on the website will not affect recurring donations that have already been established.

We apologize for any inconvienence this may cause.

As always we are grateful for your partnership with the ministry work being done in Haiti.

MTM LABOULE CHILDRENS' HOME

2010-10-05T10:24:00.003-06:00

The MTM Laboule Children's Home is a special place to be. All together, 12 children are being raised there as a family. Each child is legally orphaned; either one or both parents are deceased. We have 5 boys, 4 of those are ages 8-9 while the oldest is 12. The 7 girls are ages 8-15. One sibling group lives at the MTM Laboule Children's Home, but having been together since 2004, all of the children are a tight family unit!

There are 3 nannies that rotate days off so that there are 2 nannies present all the time to care for the children. Some of the children have extended family that visit them from time to time. Their life at the home is simple, but is far more than they would have had otherwise.

They enjoy having electricity, 3 meals each day, healthcare when it is needed, a warm bed to sleep in and the opportunity to go to school, just to name a few things.

These children are being raised together and are being given the skills to be a productive part of society. Several of them enjoy crocheting and embrodier work. Some want to be mechanics while others want to be school teachers and nurses or doctors.

Last Saturday, public power was available and the opportunity presented itself for the boys to all get a hair cut in an effort to prepare for the start of school on Monday.

The MTM Laboule Children's Home operates on a meeger budget of $2,000USD each month. This pays for food, hygiene needs, staff pay, utilities and other necessities that the children have. Unfortunately, the "trickle down afffect" from the past year's financial crisis in the US has stopped funding of the monthly budget.

Would you or someone you know like to help? If so, please contact us today or click on "Donate" at the MTM website and follow the prompts.

Thank you for your prayers and for your consideration to give towards the care of these children.

Laboule Children's Home

2010-09-17T09:50:00.003-06:00

The MTM Laboule Children's Home is one more aspect of ministry work taking place in Haiti through MTM.
Living together at the home are 12 eager to learn boys and girls ranging in ages 7-15, complete with four boys age 7!
It's a great place to spend time! The children are bright eyed and holding on to your every next move or word. Each has their own defined personality but together they are family.
Newly arrived to MTM, Britney Smith has been able to spend time with these children this week. Click on the link below to get a sample of how she has been interacting with Fabrice, Mackendy, Dayele, Robenson, Johnson, Nerlande, Mylinda, Marise, Marie Ange, Dania, Johana and Hyphania.
We are grateful for the committment that Britney has made to MTM to work at the High School and with the children at the MTM Laboule Children's Home.

http://http://britneylsmith.blogspot.com/2010/09/he-she-it-red-blue-yellow-white-brown.html

MADAME STEPHEN

2010-09-06T10:30:00.002-06:00

Trusted and faithful to the end,
that describes this worker and great friend.
Loyal to her God and to her family,
sorely missed by all she will be.
Mother to many and disciplinarian too,
school children, team members, not known by few.
Many life heart aches she did suffer and endure,
her health quickly depleted, she was too young for sure.
Madame Stephen now rejoices before her King,
He always was her everything!

September 5th, 2010

*MTM Head Cook at the Gramothe School Cafeteria*Gramothe Church Treasurer and Deacon*Mother of 2 surviving children*Faithful wife*Faithful friend

"A night to ignite a vision"...

2010-07-13T11:00:00.003-06:00

"A night to ignite a vision"...

FRIDAY, JULY 30TH

7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

IDLE CREEK BANQUET CENTER

5353 Eldridge Road, Terre Huate, IN

FREE ADMISSION and DINNER
MINISTRY and PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES
TESTIMONIES and FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS ABOUT HAITI
FEATURED SPEAKER: MTM FOUNDER/DIRECTOR, WILLEM CHARLES

We invite you to join us and learn how your prayers and giving have and will continue to bless a nation as we gather to "ignite a vision".

For more information call: 812-870-3939

KENIA TILUS JULY 22, 2004 ~ FEBRUARY 13, 2010

2010-02-25T13:19:00.003-06:00

Kenia Tilus, born July 22, 2004, was a casualty of the tragic earthquake that struck the country of Haiti on February 12, 2010.

While walking along the river bed with her father after attending a day of Kindergarten at the MTM Gramothe school, the earthquake struck & a rock slide was triggered striking this vivacious little girl.

Two MTM medical team members had just started to cross the river bed when they saw the events unfold. They labored to breath life into this little girl while traveling on an ATV to find help at a local hospital. Her family urgently prayed for God to spare her life.

While morning approached, Kenia's family cried out as they released their child into the hands of God.

On behalf of Kenia's family, "Thank you" to those who worked endlessly to save her life while risking their own. She was a bright little girl who loved to play with her doll & loved being with her friends at school.

Please pray for Kenia's family, who are serving Christ, as well as her classmates who will miss her presence in their classroom.

PLANCHET, TALA & DEPENSE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

2010-02-12T09:10:00.004-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, a family representative from each of the villages of Planchet, Tala & Depense gathered at the church in Gramothe to receive rice & oil. These are villages "local" to the village of Gramothe. The villagers cooperated so well that Willem was able to give rice to 2 villages at the same time, enabling the distribution to move quickly. The people were able to return to their homes before the night settled.
250 more families have been served from the Gramothe church!

2 villages receive rice & oil at the same time.

1 bag of rice is shared between 2 families.

Villagers begin their walk home in the cool evening (above & below).

As the family representatives' name is called, 2 at a time, they come forward knowing that they will share the rice.

Thank you for giving so that others may receive & give again.

A NATION OF PRAYER

2010-02-12T08:28:00.002-06:00

Today has been declared, by the president of Haiti, as a national day of mourning, marking one full month since the devastating earthquake that crumbled the government of Haiti to it's foundations. The death toll, the last we have seen, is reported to be at 212,000. There are still many missing. Do we really know how many are homeless, broken or left jobless? Do we really know...anything except for the moment we are standing in right now?
The church has taken this call to mourning a huge step further. The church has asked the nation of Haiti to pray & fast for the next three days.
Churches all over Haiti are full this morning as services began very early. Singing & praying are filling the air. As the day progresses the people will cry out to God for this nation, repenting of their sins, begging God to forgive this nation of its sins, to bring unity among the people, to provide for those in need, to heal the broken & to bring spiritual renewal to this land. Praises will also ring forth. Praises to our Creator who has been merciful, who has been gracious, who is our Provider, our Healer, our Protector, our All in All.
Wherever you are this morning, whatever you are doing, will you take a moment to lift your voice to God on behalf of the people of Haiti? We need for God to heal our land.
Thank you, in advance, for praising our Creator with us.

MTM SCHOOLS

2010-02-11T14:09:00.004-06:00

The government of Haiti has realized the following statistics about schools in Haiti:

5,000 schools were destroyed
80,000 teachers are now unemployed
1 million students no longer have a school to attend

These are sobering facts that give us even more cause to thank God for what we have & for what Mountain Top Ministries, with your support, can provide to the students of this nation.

Mountain Top Ministries began classes at our schools in the villages of Gramothe & Dumay on Monday. Attendance has not been 100%, but students are coming.

Today we took a few pictures for you at lunch time at the Gramothe school cafeteria.
Please pray for our students. Pray for them to not be afraid. Pray for their families & pray for their desire to be in the classroom to grow with each new day.
Pray also for the Haitian government that they would encourage schools that were unaffected, to remain open for students. We are hearing reports of schools that have opened only for the government to force them to close their doors until ALL schools are able to open.
Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Willem having fun with the students.

BOUCAN FOOD DISTRIBUTION

2010-02-09T16:55:00.002-06:00

The village of Boucan received rice & oil yesterday evening. Stephen & David were able to help their dad. Another village that is difficult to reach, family representatives of Boucan were asked to come to Gramothe to receive their rice. 192 more families were served through the distribution work of MTM. For this we give praise to God!

MADELEINE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

2010-02-05T07:55:00.003-06:00

The tiny village of Madeleine is 2 mountain sides' walk from the village of Gramothe. It is home to some of the poorest children that walk to attend the MTM Gramothe School. These children, though very poor, are some of our hardest working students.
Doing a food distribution for this village had it's challenges. For one, only a tiny footpath leads to the village making it impossible to take a truck there. MTM devised a plan to assign one of the older MTM high school students from Madeleine the task of making a list of one name from each family in the village who would receive rice for their family. That one person would come to the Gramothe church to receive their provisions.
Yesterday, a large crowd of family representatives from the village of Madeleine appeared on the basketball court just below the MTM Gramothe church. Two by two, the student (nicknamed "Ti Pastor") called the names of the family representatives. Two by two they came forward & received a bag of rice to be divided between them. 127 families were given food that they otherwise had no way of getting. Together on behalf of the Haitian people, we are grateful for the donors that are helping to make these kinds of food distributions possible.

Rice & oil purchased for distribution.

2 family representatives coming to receive provisions for their families.

The distribution was very orderly as the people shared what was given.

OUR HOME TOWN HERO..."HOOPS FOR HAITI"

2010-02-03T09:51:00.003-06:00

If any of you are in or near Terre Haute for this event February 11th, please attend the game to show your support for Michaela & Haiti. Thank you, Coach Hall, for allowing Michaela to utilize her talents for such a worthy event.

This article appeared in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star:

Woodrow Wilson holding Hoops for Haiti event

The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — Woodrow Wilson Middle School is conducting a Hoops for Haiti event to raise money for the earthquake-ravaged country.

The fundraiser will be in conjunction with the Feb. 11 girls basketball games against Chauncey Rose Middle School, which is supporting the effort.

Woodrow Wilson is selling T-shirts that say “Hoops for Haiti.” They can be purchased for $6 by contacting Jennifer Hall at jnh@vigoschools.org. Hall is a Woodrow Wilson teacher and girls basketball coach.

During the seventh- and eighth-grade basketball games, the school will collect donations for Haiti relief.

The school also is taking pledges based on total points scored by both teams. People may donate a penny or quarter for each point scored or provide a direct donation.

Hall said the fundraising project was the idea of one of the basketball players, Michaela Schuld, who recently participated in a missionary trip to Haiti with her father, Dr. Mark Schuld. Donations will go to Mountain Top Ministries and River of Hope orphanage.

The seventh-grade game starts at 5 p.m. and the eighth-grade game will follow.

Michaela sharing her heart with the children in Haiti.

Michaela, thank you. May God bless your heart & your efforts.

PICTURES OF DUMAY FOOD DISTRIBUTION

2010-01-30T14:36:00.003-06:00

Stephen & crew unloading trucks.
Willem helping an elderly lady who received a full bag of rice for her family. The workers carried the sack if a family member was not present to help those recieving.

Looks of anticipation as they patiently wait for their turn.

2 lines that reached down the dirt path all the way to the road leading out of the village.

Every 5 children received a full bag of rice to share.

Every 4 adults received a full sack of rice to share.

Please see post below for a description of the Dumay Food Distribution that took place above.

DUMAY FOOD DISTRIBUTION

2010-01-30T14:23:00.002-06:00

This morning by 5:00 Willem, Stephen & a crew from the Gramothe/Thomassin area were arriving in the village of Dumay with rice. The villagers were taken by surprise that food would be distributed so early in the morning.
As the people came out of their homes & tents, shivering from the morning cold, they were asked to form 2 lines & prepare to receive a 50 lb. bag of rice, one for every 4 persons to be shared & the very elderly would receive 1 full bag.
The lines began at the school & continued down the dirt path leading all the way to the raod.
After the rice was unloaded from the trucks into the MTM school building, the distribution began in a very orderly fashion. Once the lines were completed a new line was formed with children. There was enough rice remaining that every 5 children were allowed a full bag to share. Everyone in the village that came for distribution left with food. To this we are graeful & give thanks to God for his provisions.

Our apologies, due to difficulties with Blogger, we were not able to download pictures at this time. We will do so as soon as possible.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN GRAMOTHE

2010-01-28T21:32:00.004-06:00

Today a dry food distribution was done in Gramothe. There was enough for each family to get a 100 lb. bag & the crowd remained calm. Praise God! Should be doing the same in Dumay in the next day or so.

SATURDAY UPDATE

2010-01-23T12:57:00.002-06:00

Food distributions are well under way. Willem is helping to distribute in the outer lying areas of Port Au Prince as well as here in the immediate area. People are desperate & there have been a few close calls, but God has brought them through.

The last 10 days are beginning to catch up with us. Willem has been unable to sleep & is still moving. The task at hand is so great that it's hard to rest. But praise God, supplies are getting to the people.

Our school principals report that all of our teachers are safe. Many are asking about their students. It is not physically possible for us to reach each & every family at our Gramothe & Dumay schools. We have no way to know their status until school resumes. We have good reason to believe that though houses may have been lost, the earthquake came at a time that most families would not be in their homes. This gives us hope. The good news is the president of Haiti is encouraging schools that can, to reopen. We will let sponsors know as soon as possible about the status of their students. On behalf of our students & their families, thank you for your prayers & concerns.

If you have not yet listened to the prayercast link, please do so by scrolling to the previous blog. Feel free to share this with others.

We continue to encourage you to please pray. Pray for the people of Haiti, pray for Willem, pray for success of the food distributions, pray for MTM to be prepared for the ministry work yet ahead. Thank you, from the very depths of our hearts.

THURSDAY UPDATE

2010-01-21T11:49:00.007-06:00

This prayer was recorded last summer when we were in Chicago. It was released just before the devastating earthquake hit Haiti. Pray along with Willem...

http://www.prayercast.com/haiti

Willem is highly engaged in helping relief supplies get to the people of Haiti. Yesterday there were meetings with the Minister of Commerce, the Prime Minister and President Preval.

Please pray for flow of relief aid to be opened.

MONDAY UPDATE...

2010-01-18T14:21:00.002-06:00

We did not give a Sunday update, we needed to make it a day of rest & worship to the Lord, although it was still an event filled day for all of us.
The morning air was filled with powerful worship coming from the Gramothe church as they sang, "How Great Thou Art", "Because He Lives", "I Surrender All".... Madame Stephen gave her full testimony before the congregation of how God enabled her to get up & walk out of the hospital & how she never dreamed to be in the Gramothe church again.

Today has been a very real, hard day for us. Our close friends have left for the Dominican Republic to continue onto the U.S. She was in her parents' house when it crumbled down around her. She is badly shaken & needs to go.
Stephen has heard from all of his friends but one. Everyone waits to hear from her, but the area where she lived was hard hit. All of his other classmates have already or are preparing to leave. David, too, waits to hear from all of his classmates. It's beginning to feel quite lonely here, but, God has given the people of Haiti a task & it must be accomplished...rebuild this land.

As Willem works to help others get distribution points set up, the boys & I are working hard on supplies to give. We have packaged meds, created health packs as well as organized & filled 10 large bags of medical supplies from the MTM clinic. This may not sound like much, but supplies are still in dire need.

It is so overwhelming here, but we are honored to be a part of rebuilding Haiti, one village at a time. Please, please pray for Haiti. We thank you from the depths of our hearts.

FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST...

2010-01-16T22:44:00.002-06:00

Couldn't go to bed without writing a word to the Body of Christ.
God is in control in Haiti.
I questioned a local pastor at the market yesterday, "Is this God's hand of judgement on Haiti?!" I declare that his black skinned paled as he looked me in the eye intensely while removing his glasses. He proceeded to tell me how every governmental building in Port Au Prince is crushed & that hundreds of officials were in those buildings. We continued to discuss how the north of Haiti & other areas were totally unaffected & how blessed we are to have recieved mercy from God.
This morning I took time for devotions & was led to

Is 6:12-13, (NIV) "..until the Lord has sent everyone far away & the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth & he oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Haiti is under God's judgement. Are you listening?

CANADIAN ADOPTIONS

2010-01-16T16:41:00.002-06:00

If you are in Canada & in process of an adoption in Haiti, we have received the following information for you:

Go to: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2010/2010-01-16.asp

Follow the instructions to register your adoption. It appears that Canada wants to fast track Sponsorship in any way possible.

Mme. Stephen...

2010-01-16T16:12:00.002-06:00

Mme. Stephen has been the head cook at the Gramothe school since it's beginning 10 years ago. As well, she has been a part of the leadership of the church & mother to many. Most of all, she has been Willem's right arm. Recently she fell extremely ill with an irreversible condition & has been in the hospital in Port Au Prince for nearly 3 weeks receiving treatment. As the earthquake shook on Tuesday afternoon, her sister attending her tried to carry Mme. Stephen from her bed. A woman too weak to walk from her bed to the chair rose up & walked out of the hospital on her own as it tumbled down around her, knowing her sister would not be able to carry her body.

Desperate, her brother searched 2 days through the death & rubble filled streets of Port Au Prince unable to locate her. It was difficult to see him return each time, though we continued to encourage him.

Somehow Mme. Stephen & her sister walked the 4 miles to near the airport where they slept in the street & had only a small amount of water, no food. On Thursday midday, they were finally able to phone Willem as the phone service returned to local cell phones.

Yesterday I had the honor of seeing Mme. Stephen in the truck with her brother as they dropped some supplies at our gate. Though very skinny & very ill, as I cupped her face in my hands, she shone like the noonday sun, full of praise & wonder to the awesomeness of our God. Though she was fully aware that the hospital was her only chance of survival, she was happy to be going "home".

At the break of day, Willem was on his way to Gramothe. Mme. Stephen shared with him that she was so happy because she never thought she would ever get to see her home again, she loves her home! And her children, she was so happy to see them, her beautiful children that she thought she would never again be with. She commented how blessed she was to have life & to be with her children in her home again.

GRAMOTHE & DUMAY SCHOOLS...

2010-01-16T15:43:00.003-06:00

It's so very crazy here in our lives right now. Willem is working feverishly to wisely help & move what & whoever he can in an effort to help those in need. Currently he is working with some officials to get assistance mobilized to the city where it is needed the most. Please pray for his wisdom.

He spent some time in the village today & with the caretaker at the school from Dumay yesterday. There is not much to tell, but I'm going to tell what I can to help ease the hearts & minds of our student sponsors.

Let me start by saying that God has graciously spared the mountains in this area, as well as the north of Haiti. Our areas were affected, but nothing compared to Port Au Prince. Houses & parts of them fell, but few were severely injured or died with the exception of the one little girl who was passing by a rock cliff when it slid off the mountain side. Most of the students from our school are from the mountain areas here, but some do travel in from other areas. As well, most of our teachers live locally with some traveling from Port Au Prince. We are still waiting to locate all of our staff at both of the schools. All of the student body we may not be able to confirm until school is reopened. We do not yet know when that will be. We hope to open the MTM schools as soon as possible, if for no other reason than to feed the children.

Gramothe: No structural damage. No confirmed deaths. Many damaged homes.
Dumay: No structural damage. No confirmed deaths. Many, many damaged homes.

PLEASE! We need for you to continue giving now more than ever! We ask for you to please be patient with us. This is a disaster at insurmountable proportions & everyone that can is trying to help those in need. We will do our very best to provide information as we are able.
We sincerely thank you for your continued prayers & faithfulness to your sponsorship committment.

FOR ADOPTING PARENTS....

2010-01-16T15:11:00.001-06:00

If you are in process of adopting from Haiti, you should do as directed in the email below that was sent to us today.

Joint Council's Orphan and Family database is up and running. If your organizations has families in the process of adopting from Haiti, please request that they fill-in your adoption information. The database will allow Joint Council to advocate with the U.S. and Haitian governments, as appropriate, for for the cases currently in process. Please note: the database is temporarily housed on Joint Council's donate page, donations are not required to utilize the database. Adoptive families should choose the second option, "Register my Haiti adoption with Joint Council" to enter the necessary information. To access the database, click here<https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/JointCouncilonInternational/OnlineDonation.html>.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

2010-01-16T12:47:00.003-06:00

Right now, if you are looking for what you can do to help Haiti,

call your REPRESENTATIVES

& ask them to push

CRAIG FUGATE at FEMA
to help HAITI.

Thank you in advance.

FRIDAY UPDATE

2010-01-15T07:01:00.005-06:00

The sun is shining & the skies are clear blue. "It is a beautiful day in Haiti!", I would normally declare. Optimistic as it is, it is clearly a difficult statement to make.

Some good news for us here at MTM. Mme. Stephen, our Gramothe school cook & matron of the village, was finally able to phone Willem yesterday. The hospital she was at evacuated Tuesday evening & she found herself near the airport & had been sleeping in the street. She is now at home in Gramothe.

19 of the 23 member Chicago team that was with us have just now departed for the U.S. Embassy where they will remain as they await evacuation. The remaining 4 will be with us until the airport & airlines resume operation. The trauma that this medical team saw at the Baptist Haiti Mission hospital on Tuesday night has taken it's toll, especially on the non-medical people on the team. Continued tremors have us all on the edge of our nerves.

We have no word yet of the MTM school in the village of Dumay. We have not yet been able to go there either.

Victims that have come to our gate have gaping wounds filled with debris & broken limbs that cannot be repaired. Hospitals & clinics here, the few that are still standing, have no supplies. These victims will continue to come, one by one. We will continue to minister however we can. This is truly a time that we will depend on our Healer to do the impossible.

On a personal note, we are very proud of our sons, Stephen & David who have shown forth their gifts of help, compassion, encouagement & others during this week. Stephen has translated & assisted medical proceedures while David just keeps the air light for the all of us at the house. They were in the city yesterday helping friends to recover items from a collapsed house. They have learned about the deaths of at least 2 children at their school as well as classmates' parents that have died or are missing. They seem unaffected, but we are talking.

Tremors continued this morning, though they were heavy for us, I'm sure they were much harder in Port Au Prince. In country phone communications are still not 100%. Everyone is working together to locate loved ones that have not yet been heard from. Victims are still trying to get medical attention. People are still litterally sleeping in the streets for fear of the tremors & because their homes have already been destroyed.

We remain in conservation mode, but we are stepping it up a notch. Gas stations & markets are not yet open & the president of Haiti has not yet spoken to the people.

We really cannot express how grateful we are for all of the emails & facebook comments made this week. We know you are praying. We are encouraged to see & hear your words of encouragement & to know that you are encouraging others. Please, do not stop! We need to see you are there.
Everyone wants to know the needs. Below are the most immediate needs & how you can help. Please, do what you can & continue to encourage others.

IMMIDIATE NEEDS:

MEDICAL ATTENTION
FOOD
REBUILDING

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

PRAY that in everything that is done, that God would recieve the glory. PRAY for all of the relief workers, they need stamina, courage, wisdom & strength to endure all that is before them. PRAY for the people of Haiti as they praise God for his mercy & ask for provisions & for HIS continued grace.
GIVE, GIVE, GIVE & encourage others to give: Donations may be made at the MTM website, go to

www.mtmhaiti.com & click on "DONATE"

make check payable to Mountain Top Ministries & mail to:

Mountain Top Ministries

P.O. Box 7053

Terre Haute, IN 47802

In Canada for a Canadian tax-deductable reciept, make check payable to "Christian Haitian Ministries", designate as "MTM Earthquake Relief" & mail to:

Christain Haitian Ministries

149-264th Street

Aldergrove, B.C. V4W 2K1

Canada

COME to serve. As the airlines open up & MTM is able to provide safe working conditions & provisions, we need people to come to help us rebuild lives. Medical, construction & spiritual rebuilding is needed. If you are willing to be on standby for any such teams, please email us right away.

In closing, we are getting hundreds of emails & Face Book comments each day. Moving forward, the primary communication from MTM will be this blog post with additional comments on our Facebook page (email address mtmhaiti@gmail.com). You are welcome to join the Facebook page, but we ask that you do not email MTM at the address above, at this time, unless you are in need of a definate response. It is difficult for us to sort through all of the emails & our time is limited with the other tasks at hand.

Again, we thank GOD for each of you & your efforts to minister to the Haitian people during this time. If you need to speak with an MTM representative, you may call the MTM office at 812-870-3939 to speak with Angie, or, 812-870-5101 to speak with Deb.

With sincere gratitude,

Willem & Beth Charles & Family

Mountain Top Ministries, Haiti

THURSDAY UPDATE

2010-01-14T12:14:00.003-06:00

Time seems to be creeping as so many are searching for loved ones & help. Lots of heoric stories of those who have given their lives to protect others from falling debri. Slowly, victims are coming to our gate for treatment after being turned away from broken down or "out of supply" hospitals. Many large, open wounds full of debri, too old to suture.

We've said it before & we'll say it again, God is in control & we will continue to be his hands extended.

No new tremors today and I think everyone slept well last night. The team patiently waits word of when the airport will be open for their flight home, it won't be today. It has been reported that the run way is in good condition but the control tower suffered heavy damage.

We have some local phone service but it's still not 100%. Gas stations are not open & markets are still closed. We are in conservation mode.

One of our Kindergarten students at the Gramothe school died after suffering injuries from fallen debris. The family is unable to find a casket for burial. A couple of men on the team will build one for them.

We can hear a church singing in the distance. The death wail across the valley has come to a hush with the exception of an occasional cry. The presence of God in the singing church brings peace to the spirit of the people here.

Please continue to pray for Haiti & her people & those working to help them. Thank you in advance for your help.

UPDATE CONTINUED..

2010-01-13T21:53:00.002-06:00

Willem spent time getting out today to see Port Au Prince. The conditions all over are very bad. Please continue to pray for Haiti.
There is much need for immediate aide here now. At present, no relief aid has come to Haiti.
The medical team working at MTM this week spent the day cleaning up the Gramothe clinic, seeing just a few patients from the village. The clinic had a lot of supplies toppled from shelves, but the building remains in tack.
Several trauma injuries were seen in our front yard this morning including a young lady that I think was sure she would die. She was a student from Port Au Prince that was in her school when a portion of it fell on her. She was brought to us lying in the bed of a truck, looking as if she had no hope, but praying & encouraged when asked if she knew Jesus. She had gone to a hospital in the city, they bandaged her chin & sent her away (it was a gash worthy of stitches but none were given). She came to us unable to move, not having passed urine since yesterday. After carefully tending to her facial wound, the nurses then turned to her next situation trying a very simple procedure, warm water! They filled a wash tub with warm water & had the young lady sit in it & walla! she peed! Praise God it was a simple fix with a happy ending.

The last tremor was felt at sometime around 12 midnight Tuesday. While having dinner at 4 today, we had another heavy tremor that sent the team out of the house. It wasn't long before there was a knock at the gate. Our little 13 yr. old family friend that is helping David with his Creole popped his head in to ask if he could stay. His aunt wasn't home & the quake had brought down a part of their house leaving him homeless. We welcomed him in. Just a few minutes after came another knock. Twelve frightened children enter our home, each greeting me with a kiss, it was the children from our very own Laboule Childrens' Home. A house near them had fallen with the last tremor & the nanny was concerned that she had not yet heard from her family. So, we welcomed them in too! Stephen & David are hosting the slumber party with peanut butter, raisin crackers, water & a movie that they all enjoyed together after we made their beds on the floor of the front room. It was quite an interesting sight :) So, tomorrow morning we will be having breakfast for 37!

I was able to get out to the store this morning to get some supplies & water. We have all that we need, are safe & at this time, steady.

As I drove to the only open store for miles around I watched people walking. Some walked with a purpose while others walked with a blank stare as if they weren't sure where they were going. Some walked by themselves & others walked with their families with their belongings on their heads or carrying their sick looking for help. The devastation I witnessed in the faces of people, the stories at the market & the rubble on the street is nothing compared to what is going on in Port Au Prince.

The team from Chicago that is here is waiting word to know when they can fly home. We have another team due in on Monday that will be working with the students, church leadership & doing construction work. Nurses will also be on the team & will be prepared to assist those in need. Again, please pray.

We are blessed with all of the phone calls, emails & face book posts that have been made . Thank you, please keep them coming. Right now, please, keep praying.
The most immediate need is medical care & shelter. It is a time that Haitians are pulling together to help each other, but it is still a time of great need.

Many have emailed & phoned to ask how they can help & where they can send money. First & far most, PRAY! If you'd like to give, you may give at our website or send a check or money order to MTM, P.O. Box 7053, Terre Haute, IN 47802. Please designate your gift as "Earthquake Relief".

We should be able to post more pictures tomorrow & we will continue to post as we are able. Our internet was down all day today. Without internet we also have no satellite phone. There is still no cell or land line phone service which also means without internet we are left with no means of communication (we are emailing our local friends in an effort to save gas).
Pray for aide to arrive, pray for the families that have lost, pray for those healing & pray for those in authority to make wise decisions. Thank you in advance for your prayers!

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE-PICTURES

2010-01-13T21:45:00.002-06:00

These are a couple pictures from Gramothe:

The Little x Little Medical team from Chicago, hard at work in our front yard.

UPDATE

2010-01-13T01:50:00.003-06:00

It's nearly 3:00AM Wednesday. The medical team has returned from the hospital, had something to eat, caught their breath & are now off to bed for some rest. No one knows what day light will bring. At least 100 horrifically injured patients were ministered to by this group of 23 as they came to the rescue of 2 doctors & just a few nurses left to handle the masses of wounded.
The tremors have ceased, as of about 1:00AM.
We are all exhausted, ready to trust sleep.
Words cannot express our thanks for your prayers tonight. Please continue to pray for Haiti.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE UPDATE

2010-01-12T20:11:00.002-06:00

Tonight in Haiti many are praising God, considering things spoken of about the end times, considering the condition of their own soul.
Our family is well.
We have mobilized a visiting medical team from Chicago to work at a local hospital. They will be much needed there tonight.
Tremmors continue. There has been much destruction.
Please pray for Haiti tonight.

MTM HAITI OFFICE UPDATE

2009-12-23T11:43:00.004-06:00

NEW AT MOUNTAIN TOP MINISTRIES:

"Blue" was purchased with donations given by the Terre Haute Triathalon Association and several individuals. "She" will assist the existing dump truck as we continue construction of the Gramothe Hospital.

Thank you for your giving!

PROSTESIS DONATION TO HELPING HANDS OF HAITI:

These prostesis and other parts were donated and brought to MTM by team members. We have been able to donate them to Helping Hands Of Haiti, an organization that assists with providing prostesis to those in need. The legs will most likely be dissassemble and used to provide a full fitting prostesis for someone in need.
Thank you for your giving so that others may walk!

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PRESCHOOLERS AT GRAMOTHE & DUMAY SCHOOLS:

Johanne was busy last week gathering up, sorting through & wrapping gifts for preschoolers at the Gramothe & Dumay schools. These goodies (candies, stuffed animals & miscellaneous toys) were brought & left by team members over the past months. Underwear & socks were also donated for the cause.
Thank you for your giving so that others (about 220 preschool students & 10 teachers!) may recieve!

LOOKING BACK OVER 10 YEARS!

2009-12-16T16:29:00.016-06:00

Can you believe it? Ten years ago in the village of Gramothe there was only 1 crop each year, an old, broken down school that barely held & educated 19 children, no medical services, no potable water source, only candles to light their homes at night & 5 voodoo temples.

Today in the village of Gramothe there is a thriving Christian church with no voodoo temples in sight, a bustling school that is educating & feeding students from Preschool through high school, potable water lines throughout the village, 4 crops each year, solar lighting systems in homes & a medical clinic that services people from miles around & a plan in action for a hospital! Praise the Lord!
Though we recognize & give God the glory for all that has been done & all that will be done, we also recognize that it would not be possible without the help of many of our friends all across the United States & Canada. Your time, talents & treasures given have not been in vain. You have helped to build the village of Gramothe physically & spiritually all the while inspiring, igniting & sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ one life at a time, one village at a time. To you we say, "Thank you"!
To celebrate this special occasion, we have dug through pictures & are going to attempt to share some of them on this blog. They are in no certain order & we by far got everyone! Enjoy looking back & then moving forward with us! God bless you, & again, thank you!

GRAMOTHE CAFETERIA

2009-11-21T13:02:00.003-06:00

The Gramothe school cafeteria has been in process of getting updated with new tile & shelves! The ladies working in the kitchen are delighted!
A great job done on the tile by the Gramothe tile crew & our friends from Canada who took time out of their bench building to construct some storage shelves.

MTM OFFICES

2009-11-21T11:18:00.003-06:00

Mountain Top Ministries now has our very own office open in Terre Haute, Indiana!

Our faithful volunteers are....

Deb Williams, Office Manager

Deb & her husband, Bob, have been traveling to Haiti & participating in the MTM student sponsorship program for many years. They have a heart for the children of Haiti & never tire of giving of their time & talents, joyfully!

Angie Francis, Donor Relations Coordinator

Angie & her husband, Chris, have been a part of the MTM family for just a few years but their zeal to share their lives runs deep.

Both of these committed women of faith have left well paying jobs to volunteer their time, talents & energy to be Christs' hands extended to the ministry work of Haiti & to you, our MTM family.
If there is anything that you need, please feel free to call the office. Deb &/or Angie will do their best to assist you.

All mail for Mountain Top Ministries may now be sent to:

Mountain Top Ministries
P.O. Box 7053
Terre Haute, Indiana 47802
812-870-3939 ~ 812-870-5101

In Haiti:

Johane Fethiere, Administrative Assistant

Johane has made an amazing difference in all that we are being able to do for student sponsors in Haiti. Growing up in Haiti, Johane is multi-lingual, she is well aware of her culture & she possesses the skills needed to administrate the office work here. Johane has a sincere heart for her people & she loves working with the children.

Willem & I are so blessed to have all of you who commit yourselves to help us accomplish the mission & vision of MTM in Haiti, but we are especially grateful for these 3 ladies who God has sent our way. Please join us in prayer that God would bless their efforts to serve in every way possible!

GRAMOTHE VILLAGE

2009-11-21T11:09:00.005-06:00

I(Beth) can never get enough of the faces of Haiti. In this blog I'm sharing some faces & landscape from the village of Gramothe. A big thanks to all of our team photographers that allow us to enjoy Haiti through their eyes!

DUMAY VILLAGE

2009-11-21T10:46:00.005-06:00

I(Beth) can never get enough of the faces of Haiti. In this blog I'm sharing some faces & landscape from the village of Dumay. A big thanks to all of our team photographers that allow us to enjoy Haiti through their eyes!

MTM GRAMOTHE HIGH SCHOOL

2009-09-15T09:01:00.002-06:00

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...

2009-09-03T14:49:00.002-06:00

"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?...

2009-09-03T14:03:00.005-06:00

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...

2009-09-03T13:24:00.003-06:00

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!

The Road to Gramothe...

2009-07-13T06:35:00.004-06:00

These pictures, taken just 1 week after our departure from Haiti, are of greatest value to those who have visited MTM & understand how we are able to get supplies to the village of Gramothe.
Our area of Haiti has received an unseasonable amount of rain this spring & the river has washed away the portion of the "road" that allows us to drive up the mountain. The drop off is so steep & right up against the mountain making it difficult for even a donkey to climb in an effort to carry supplies to the village.
Before we can do anything, upon our return to Haiti, this road must be fixed. This will involve a very savvy engineering plan, heavy equipment, labor & lots of funds. The goal will be to not just fix the road, but to also create a diversion for the water so that we will not encounter this situation in the future.
Will you help?
Donations are being accepted now. Go to the MTM website, www.mtmhaiti.com, & click "Donate" or write your check & send it to MTM, c/o Calvary Chapel of Danville, 2165 East Main Street, Danville, IN 46122. Either way, please designate your gift as, "Gramothe Road Repair".
Above all else, please pray for wisdom, discernment & provision as we work, even now, on this project.
Thank you in advance!

Updated Summer Schedule Details

2009-07-13T06:03:00.003-06:00

We are in full swing of the summer here in Indiana! Below is where you can find us. We'd love to see you & always enjoy sharing about Haiti & the work of MTM.

Wednesday, July 15th, 7:00 p.m., Jasonville Assembly of God, 239 W. Main St., Jasonville, IN, 812-798-1871
Wednesday, July 22nd, 7:00 p.m., Cross Tabernacle, 2929 N. 7th St., Terre Haute, IN, www.crosst.org
Saturday, July 25th, Avon, IN, this will be a team meeting & church service following. Please call 812-201-7383 for details.
Sunday, July 26th, 10:30 a.m., First Baptist Church of North Terre Haute, 2944 E. Hall St., Terre Haute, IN, www.firstbaptistnorth.com
Sunday, July 26th, 6:00 p.m., Oregon Baptist Church, 11200 S. Carlisle St., Terre Haute, IN, 812-898-2196
Wednesday, July 29th, 7:00 p.m., Kings Highway Tabernacle, 2901 S. 7th St., Terre Haute, IN, www.familyworshiponline.com
Sunday, August 2nd, 10:30 a.m., Calvary Chapel of Danville, 2165 E. Main St., Danville, IN, www.calvarychapelofdanville.org

Summer Travels

2009-06-18T22:26:00.003-06:00

Greetings everyone!

The Charles Family is now in Indiana for summer travels. We covet your prayers as we continue to keep the ministry work of MTM before others. Also as we try to find times of rest & refreshment in all that we do. Stephen & David will both attend church camp this year. We ask you to agree in prayer with us that God would continue to grow & mature them in HIS Holy Spirit.

This weekend we'll be at the HOPE CHURCH in Dubuque, Iowa. They have services Saturday evening & Sunday Morning. Willem will be giving an MTM Presentation on Sunday night.

Monday morning we'll begin traveling to BC, Canada where we'll be fellowshipping & sharing about the work of MTM in Haiti until July 6th.

July 11th & 12th we'll be at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church in Terre Haute, Indiana. Beth will be sharing at a luncheon tea on Saturday & Willem will be sharing in both of the morning services on Sunday. Sunday pm service we'll be at the Shelburn First Baptist Church.

The weekend of July 19th we'll be going north to Chicago where we'll have some fellowship time with friends & ministry partners. Willem will be speaking at a church Sunday morning.

Wednesday pm service July 22nd, Willem shares at Cross Tabernacle, Terre Haute, IN.

July 26th Willem will be preaching the a.m. serviced at the First Baptist Church of North Terre Haute.

On Sunday, August 2nd in the a.m. service, Willem will preach his last stateside service before returning to Haiti at Calvary Chaple of Danville, Danville, IN.

For more details on the above dates, please send us an email.

There will be other gatherings & opportunities to visit this summer. We sure hope to see you here & if not, then perhaps we'll see you in Haiti or if the Lord chooses not to tarry, we'll see you in heaven!

Blessings & safety on your summer!

FACES OF HAITI

2009-06-09T16:41:00.003-06:00

A really HUGE THANK YOU to the many fantastic ameture photographers that come on teams each year. As they dedicate their time & talents to minister to others, they are able to catch some wonderful shots of the precious humanity & nature that Haiti beholds.

Working Together...

2009-06-09T15:19:00.007-06:00

It is our honor to host many teams each year. Teams are comprised of people young & old & from all walks of life that make a decision to come to Haiti to see, do & give of themselves. The following pictures are just a few of those who were able to come & just a small glimpse of what they've done.

It all starts with prayer...
Building & repairing desks & school benches...

A flute on the mountain is not a common site!

The Kindergarten walls were not the only thing that became brighter...

Minor removal of a growth can be a major life change for many!

Helping a young patient that had been seen on a previous trip.

Have we mentioned holding children with warm, loving arms?

It takes everyone working together (sponsors) to create these happy faces at lunch time!

An organized library/workroom!

Helping another to hear a heart beat!

Awe, awe, awesome! New storage shelves!

Passing out donated crocs to students...

A working water well in Dumay!

Providing health care & deworming medications to students...

Sharing a handshake across cultures...

Everyone helps...

Even the youngster who is getting a new house!

Did we say, play?...yes!

Any age, there is something for everyone!

We challenge YOU to come & see what God can do through you!

GRAMOTHE CLINIC WAITING AREA UPDATE

2009-06-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

The MTM Gramothe Clinic Waiting area is officially in use!

The last 2 medical teams have seen it in action. The waiting area has already proven to be a wonderful place to show educational dvds & teach to a captive (waiting) audiance!

Below are a few pictures to show you the amazing difference for both the clinic patients & for the staff...

Before, our staff worked in the dossier room that looked like this...

Now, they have lots of space to be organized!

Before, our patients waited outside...

Now, they have a seat inside sheltered from the weather!

We praise God for all who have made this new clinic waiting area possible for the people who are serviced at the MTM Gramothe clinic.

Student Sponsors

2009-06-08T17:31:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures of MTM student sponsors that have made a trip to Haiti to meet & spend time with their student this year....

Bob has been an MTM student sponsor since we first began in 1999. He tries to come each year to work with us & spend time with his student.

Bruce (above) & David (below) made their first trip to MTM in January with a work team from their church & got to meet their sponsored students for the first time.

Diane has also been an MTM student sponsor for many years. She likes to return to Haiti as often as she can to encourage, inspire & give hope to her student.

Ron is another long time MTM student sponsor of two students. Pictured here with one of his students. On Sunday at church, the student's grandmother & little sister posed for a picture with their returning friend.

Many other MTM student sponsors make trips to work with us while visiting their student each year. Sponsors often get to meet the families of their student, see their homes, join them for lunch at school & at church on Sunday, depending on where the student lives.

If you would like to visit the student that you sponsor through Mountain Top Ministries, or if you would like to join the family of MTM Student Sponsors, contact us today!

Our Blessed Helping Hands!

2009-03-29T15:50:00.005-06:00

We want to take time to introduce you to some of our "Blessed Helping Hands"...

Without their assistance, our work load would be much heavier! We praise God for these extra hands every day!

Johane (left) was hired by MTM in January to be our Administrative Assistant. She is taking over most of Beth's responsibilities with the student sponsorship as well as working with the MTM teachers to be better organized with their record keeping. She will also assist with teams as needed. Johane is highly talented & being a Haitian, she has a heart to serve her people. We are happy to have such a talented young woman as a part of this ministry! Johane has a 10 month old daughter & has been married for 3 years.

Karen (right) has been in Haiti volunteering for MTM with her husband, Scott, since December. Together, they are gaining experience to one day continue in the ministry fields of Scotland. Right now, they are blessing the ministry work of MTM with their time & talents. Karen has been working closely with Johane & is our computer whiz kid! She also keeps herself busy with miscellaneous work in the clinic, sorting, taking inventories & working with the patient records. We will be sad to see her leave! Karen & Scott will have a definite memory of Haiti as they are leaving 5 months pregnant! Congratulations & God be with them!

Arold is the secretary at the MTM schools. Johane is working closely with him to continue to make the MTM schools a great place for students to be! Pictured here, he is sharing a letter with a student that her sponsor has sent. Arold has also worked closely with Karen. She has been training him how to manage patient records from the clinic on the computer.

Deb & her husband have been faithful student sponsors since 1999. They have a sincere heart for the children of Haiti, traveling to minister with us at every opportunity, collecting & bringing supplies & others with them. Deb has been an instrumental part in helping MTM to re-establish, maintain & refine our bookkeeping systems. Working at Sony full time, Deb has committed her talents & time to God, volunteering for the efforts of MTM. God is now blessing her sacrifices. Soon Deb's job at Sony will end & she will be working with us full time as our office assistant. Deb is taking this step of faith as this will not be a position paid by MTM.

Please join us to keep our "Blessed Helping Hands" held up in prayer. They do make our work load lighter & we are grateful for each one!
Thank you in advance for your partnership.

"EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER"!

2009-03-03T20:11:00.004-06:00

This week MTM is delighted to host a group that will be performing their own version of "Extreme Home Makover" for a special family in the village of Gramothe. Below are a couple pictures of the house that will be replaced.

This family is the second to be blessed with a new home this month.

The house.

10 of the 11 children in the family.

To follow the journey of this team, check out their blog page at htp://obchaiti2009.blogspot.com/

ONE MORE UPDATE...

2009-03-03T20:00:00.003-06:00

We can't continue without just one last (past due) update of the week of the accident.
Our dear freind Richardson continues to stand strong in his faith, praising God & standing on the testimony that God has given him.
The visiting nurse that held Richardson's father as he died in her lap on the way to the hospital, struggled with that experience, but found deep within herself the courage to overcome. To honor her for her perseverence, God saw fit to allow her to assist in the delivery of a new life just 2 days after at the Gramothe clinic. Baby Joshua was a healthy 7 lb. baby!

Praise the Lord!

IMPORTANT EMAIL ADDRESS INFORMATION

2009-02-16T06:33:00.002-06:00

Greetings from Haiti!

We wanted to let you know some important email address information.

If you are currently contacting MTM or Willem & Beth Charles through

wbcharles@hughes.net,

this service will discontinue immediately.

Please, immediately, begin using

wbcharles@accesshaiti.com.

Thank you & we look forward to hearing from you!

STUDENT SPONSORSHIP PAYMENTS

2009-02-10T13:35:00.003-06:00

We are grateful for those of you who are participating in the MTM Student Sponsorship program. A student correspondence, updated photo & a newsletter should be coming to you very soon!

A couple of notes for current sponsors

If you have registered to make your payment online, please check your bank statement to ensure that your payment is being automatically deducted from your banking account. If this is not happening, please reset your account on the MTM website (http://www.mtmhaiti.com/).
If you are paying by check, did you know that you can now make your sponsorship payment online at the MTM website? Once you set up your account at the MTM website (http://www.mtmhaiti.com/), your sponsorship donation will automatically be withdrawn from your banking account or credit card.
If you choose to write a check and mail it, you are welcome to continue this process! Simply make your check payable to MTM & mail it to: MTM Student Sponsorship, c/o Calvary Chapel of Danville, 2165 East Main Street, Danville, IN 46122.

If you are not familiar with the Mountain Top Ministries Student Sponsorship Program, visit our website (http://www.mtmhaiti.com/) to learn more, sponsor a student or to write to us for more information.

Not convinced that education is important in a land like Haiti? Go to the link below & read what author Edwidge Danticat had to say about learning to read & its importance to her family & those around her. The visitor that she refers to in her article (Raphaelle Cardozo Baker) is a close friend of ours & we use her books in our schools. http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200902_omag_chance_danticat

RICHARDSON EXILE

2009-02-09T11:29:00.002-06:00

Richardson Exile is the MTM Gramothe High School student that was driving his father's truck when it lost brakes, hit the side of the mountain, flipped & stopped just on the downside edge of the road Saturday, killing his father & another student at the school (Denilson Jean Jules-see post below).
Many of you have been so kind to email asking about the accident, those involved & offering your help as well as your prayers. Thank you.
We want to give a little insight to the person of Richardson Exile, as well as the events in his life leading up to Saturday & to let everyone know how he is doing.

Let me begin by saying that Richardson & his brother have been at the MTM Gramothe school since it's beginning (1999). Their mother, a voodoo priestess, withdrew them from their school in the city to support the school in their own village. Knowing it was a Christian school, she chose to send her children & together with her husband, they supported the rule that children who go to the school must come to church. Through this, the father began coming to church, as well as the maternal grandmother!
Both boys have always been very upstanding, respectable students who excel in their work. Both active in the church, Richardson leads the youth group & plays with the worship team. Recently, Willem encouraged the High School students to participate in the clinic if there was an area that they had an interest in. Richardson was the only one to come forward. He was quickly put to work learning how to use the portable lab machine, something he picked up very quickly & took a great interest in.
The week before the accident Richardson had a seizure & his mother tried to convince him to try her magic, he adamantly refused. Wednesday night in church Richardson shared this testimony & Willem had the church to pray over him & they did for a very long time.
After the accident (Saturday) as Willem was taking the father to the hospital, it was said that Richardson was clinging to his Bible in the back of the truck crying out, "God, where are you!". Stephen was in the clinic helping when Willem returned with Ricardson & his mother. Stephen said he was crying buckets of tears but kept saying, "Thank you Jesus". Sunday in church Richardson, usually on a guitar, chose to play the drums instead. Just before church was finished, he asked to sing a song & testified that God is so good to him.
This is quite moving.
I would say that Richardson "gets it"...his faith & salvation in Christ & the providential care that God gives over him & his family.
Would you please continue to pray with us for Richardson & his family?
Thank you in advance.

DENILSON JEAN JULES 01/09/05 - 02/07/09

2009-02-08T15:13:00.003-06:00

Denilson was a happy & bright young boy attending the MTM Gramothe school since the fall of 2000 when he entered the Preschool. His parents are farmers & he lived in the village of Gramothe with his brother & 2 sisters. Denilson loved to play soccer & in a recent writing assignment for school he said, "I am happy that we are able to go to school because I learn more about Jesus".

Denilson will be greatly missed by family, friends & classmates.

ACCIDENT UPDATE

2009-02-07T09:29:00.002-06:00

Willem has just called as he is traveling to the hospital near Port au Prince.
Richardson Exile, one of our high school students, was driving a small pickup truck filled with supplies & people down the mountain from the village of Gramothe. The truck lost its brakes & it appears that he lost control of the truck causing it to go over the edge of the road. A small boy was killed immediately & now Richardson's father has died on the way to the hospital.
Again, we will report more as we know it.
Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Some of you know the story of the Exile family. The mother has stayed in her voodoo practice, yet has happily supported the work of MTM in the village of Gramothe by sending her 2 boys to the school since its opening in 1999. Through the MTM Gramothe church, both boys, the father & their grandmother have come to know the Lord as their personal Savior. Please pray for the mother to now accept Christ as her Savior.

CAR ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD TO GRAMOTHE

2009-02-07T08:56:00.003-06:00

Dear Friends,

As I type, Willem is on his way to the hospital with a truck load of people that are injured. It appears that a small truck loaded with supplies & people on it's way to Gramothe somehow fell off of the road. The pictures below are all we can see from the house & there have been a couple frantic phone calls about injured & at least one death of a child. We are not sure of the details at this time, but will update you more as we know.

WELL PHOTOS!!!

2009-01-30T11:03:00.003-06:00

Willem had the honor of unlocking the well & being the first to pump gushes of clean, fresh water for the MTM Dumay School! Everyone is excited about access to this life-changing gift!

Pastor Matt, Iowa team member, delivered a simple message about Jesus being the real Living Water! He also blessed the well, the land, the school, the students & staff and the community of Dumay.
Check out these smiles!

PRAISE THE LORD!

Dumay Water Well, IT IS FINISHED!

2009-01-25T16:42:00.003-06:00

Greetings from Haiti this Sunday evening!

Lots of breakdowns & 120 feet later, the MTM school at the village of Dumay finally has a working water well!

Praise the Lord!

We are grateful for those of you who have generously given to help make this happen.

The school will no longer have to haul water from the river for cooking in the cafeteria & there is now a clean, free-flowing supply of water not just for the school, but for that immediate area.

(Pictures to follow).

John Paul Update

2009-01-17T16:21:00.002-06:00

I had hoped to have a smiling face of Jean Paul by now, but my apologies as we do not have.

Just the same, we wanted you all to know his current condition is...

BLESSED!

When our dear friend was rolling down the mountain & then landed at the bottom, he testified in church the following week that the only thing he could remember was that Willem had prayed over the congregation at the close of service Sunday night, asking God for protection over each person there. Needless to say, Jean Paul then began praising God!

Three cuts on his back & a laceration on his arm that warranted some stitches aren't bad for a "roll" down a mountain side with a machete in your hand!

We praise God along with Jean Paul for his protection over these precious people that HE has placed us here to serve.

Praise the Lord!

GRAMOTHE CLINIC WAITING AREA PROGRESSION

2009-01-12T07:01:00.003-06:00

Just a few pictures to update the progression of the Gramothe Clinic Waiting Area.

MTM is currently hosting a medical team from the Chicago, IL area. In two weeks a team from Dubuque, Iowa will come to build benches for the waiting area so that it will be ready for use when the February medical team arrives.

We praise God for the ability to provide this waiting area for our patients! A great big THANK YOU to those who gave financially to make this happen.

Setting iron for reinforcement in the roof.

Mixing cement by hand & dipping buckets to transfer it to the roof.

"The bucket brigade"~sending cement to the roof.

Nearly finished.

A day's job done. The cement roof has been poured & now time will complete the process.

Gramothe Clinic Waiting Area under construction!

2008-12-02T12:58:00.003-06:00

Here it is, the foundation of the long awaited Gramothe Medical Clinic Waiting Area!

This is a project that is expected to be completed quickly.

It will provide clinic patience a place to sit comfortably, out of the weather, while they wait for their turn to enter the clinic. This will also provide a nice opportunity to effectively teach to a captive audience!

For those of you who have visited &/or worked at the Gramothe Medical Clinic, the new waiting area is located at the northeast corner of the existing clinic.

LABOULE CHILDREN'S HOME...

2008-11-22T15:52:00.002-06:00

This morning after breakfast, Stephen & I (Beth) headed for the MTM Laboule Children's Home. I can always count on Stephen to help me there. He loves going to play & interact with the children.

On the way we stopped at the grocery store to purchase a few cases of supplies that were needed at the home as well as some lunch items to treat the children with.

I worked through the noon hour reorganizing, inventorying & restocking items that the children needed: warm/winter clothes, shoes, bed sheets, blankets & some other items.

In the backyard there was some soccer going on...

& shortly before our departure, Stephen & some of the older girls made turkey & cheese sandwiches for all the children, serving them with chips, juice & yogurt for dessert. The only one missing...
was Melynda, she was getting her hair done!

Sheila Estiven ~10/21/08-11/21/08~

2008-11-21T18:00:00.006-06:00

At exactly 1 month old today, little Sheila Estiven went to be with the Lord, her Maker.

Please continue in prayer that her parents would have a peace in their spirit and rest in the arms of their Comforter.

May God be glorified by the life if this little one that he released onto this earth for a short time.

SHEILA UPDATE...

2008-11-21T12:58:00.008-06:00

Nearly 2 weeks ago Sheila was taken to the hospital by her parents. All this time she has laid in a hospital bed receiving I.V. fluids, doctors telling the parents nothing, a common scenario here. Nursing weakly at her mothers' breast, she has shown slight improvement, but most recently has begun to deteriorate.

Yesterday the parents allowed Willem to provide transportation to have the baby taken to a reputable, newly built Catholic children's hospital, Little Brothers Little Sisters. Today the doctor told the parents that their infant needed to be taken to General Hospital to have surgery. In Haiti, when a medical professional tells you this, it means you are going to General Hospital to die. That is the reputation of that hospital.

Sheila's parents decided to take their baby girl home.

HOPE.

That is what we have.

Please continue to pray with us that God will be glorified through this situation. MTM will provide as much medical support as possible to this family & the Gramothe church & village people will be there to support also. We know that God can bring this child back to a full life & we will all do our best to help her to live.

Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Praise the Lord!

DUMAY WELL UPDATE...

2008-11-17T10:18:00.002-06:00

This morning we are waiting to hear how deep the drillers have gone & just how much further they need to go before hitting water.

As you can see, they are working!

This has been a VERY exciting event in the village of Dumay.

BABY SHEILA UPDATE

2008-11-17T10:14:00.003-06:00

Thank you for all the prayers for Baby Sheila. Please continue.

I wish we could give a full account of what Sheila is being treated for, unfortunately, few questions are asked between doctor & patient in Haiti. I keep asking from where we are at, but there is just not much information to gain except that Baby Sheila is improving while she remains in the hospital.

For this we say, "PRAISE THE LORD!".

PLEASE PRAY FOR BABY SHEILA...

2008-11-14T05:19:00.003-06:00

Out of great concern for Baby Sheila (10-22-08), Mme. Stephen took her to the hospital last night. Doctors who examinded the tiny infant decided right away to keep her at the hospital for observation along with giving I.V. solution.

Sheila has not been thriving. She has refused to nurse and is crying all the time. Mme. Stephen is very worried because this is how she has lost 3 other babies in the past.

Please pray for Baby Sheila & her family.

Pictures taken 11-10-08

Thank you in advance for your prayers.

ANOTHER SCHOOL COLLAPSES NEAR PORT AU PRINCE..

2008-11-12T14:57:00.002-06:00

Following are 2 articles.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 Nine injured in second Haiti school collapse
Jonathan M. Katz / Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti --
A school partially collapsed in the Haitian capital on Wednesday, injuring nine people less than a week after the collapse of another school. Portions of the Grace Divine school in Port-au-Prince came crashing down while class was in session. As word of the incident spread, crowds of anxious parents descended along with ambulances and crews from the collapse of the College La Promesse in nearby Petionville. Two Grace Divine students were hospitalized with severe injuries while seven people outside the school suffered minor injuries, said Edouard Ernseau, a city building inspector. No one was trapped inside. The cause of the incident was unknown, though Ernseau said recent heavy rains may have weakened the two-story concrete structure. On Saturday, Haitian President Rene Preval said poor construction, including a lack of steel reinforcement, was to blame for the collapse of College La Promesse the day before. He warned that many other buildings throughout Haiti are in danger of failing and he called for greater oversight.
=========================================
Another Haiti school collapses:
reports November 12, 2008,

A school in central Port-au-Prince has partly collapsed leaving seven people injured, police said, five days after a school in the capital's suburbs caved in.Police said students at the Grace Divine school were out in the recreation yard when the cave-in occurred at the small school.Chunks of the school's walls were scattered on the ground, its concrete roof was sagging, and there were clear cracks in the remaining walls, at AFP reporter witnessed.Rescuers backed up by foreign teams in the country to help with the earlier school collapse arrived quickly at the scene to help clear the debris.About 100 students aged five to 12 normally attend Grace Divine, according to people in the area.The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, but it came after heavy rains late Tuesday soaked the capital of one of the world's poorest countries.It also comes in the wake of several hurricanes which battered the country over the summer."It is a problem of urban development in general," Minister of Education Joel Desrosiers Jean-Pierre told AFP at the Grace Divine school site.Huge crowds of family members and onlookers rushed to the site at the news of the collapse, as Haiti was still reeling from the disaster at the La Promesse school in Petion-ville, a hillside shantytown outside Port-au-Prince, last Friday.

WELL DRILLING IN DUMAY!

2008-11-10T21:32:00.002-06:00

FINALLY!

One of the most important elements missing for the MTM school in Dumay is clean, safe, accessible WATER.

There is a river nearby, but it is very labor intensive to fetch & filter enough water to provide for the school & the local villagers on a consist ant basis.

Two years ago MTM located a driller that reassured us they could find water on the property but said that their drilling rig could not cross the river because of flooding.

Last week, the long awaited rig forged the river & is now set up to drill.

MTM has witnessed what clean, accessible water can do in a village & those of you who've traveled to the village of Gramothe know about it too!

Last week MTM had $5,000 to start drilling thanks to a couple folks who have given generously. Today, the balance was paid by another very generous friend of MTM!

Praise the Lord!

DEACONS ORDAINED

2008-11-10T21:04:00.004-06:00

Backing up a bit, 2 weeks ago friends from Terre Haute, IN came to visit the village of Gramothe on a special mission.

Pastor Mark has been here several times before teaching leaders in the Gramothe church. This time he came with friends to be a part of an ordination service with 4 of the deacons in the church.

After services, communion was shared and a special water baptism service followed. 9 servants of the Lord Jesus Christ made their outward stand of faith by being baptised in the water source high above the village that was once used by voodoo priests.

Praise God this mountain is being reclaimed for Christ daily!

Praying over the deacons.

Who's this?!

Please keep these warriors in prayer!

HELP ARRIVES FROM CHILLIWACK, B.C.!

2008-11-10T20:47:00.004-06:00

The week started off quick for these 3 guys from B.C., Canada. The week has passed too quickly!

We are grateful for our friend, Ron Ediger, that is always eager to share MTM with friends & family. This trip Ron came with friends, Frank & Halmit, & together they built 24 desk/bench sets for the Gramothe High School as well as making repairs on several other sets that needed their attention.

Thanks guys, we look forward to your return!

A full crowd for Sunday morning services. The overflow area was...overflowing!

Students attending the MTM Gramothe school are required to come to church each Sunday.

This has been a huge evangelism tool to families of the students as the students often come with parents or other family members.

Each student is given a laminated I.D. card with their name & grade at the beginning of the school year. They really like having this card to carry.

RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUE...

2008-11-09T08:58:00.004-06:00

Rescue efforts continue in the school that collapsed Friday morning.

The school is located at the end of a road that starts out as paved, nearly two lanes eventually narrowing down to an unpaved foot path. This is what has made the rescue efforts so difficult.

MTM was able to donate supplies from the Gramothe Medical Clinic to rescuers (face masks, eye protection, bandaging materials, rehydration supplies, eye drops, pain relievers..) & will continue to help however we can.

The pastor who owns & built the school has been arrested & they are trying to charge him with manslaughter, but who is really to blame? A pastor creating a place for children to go to school, or a government with little to no enforced building codes that can easily be paid off for the right price?

Your continued prayers are necessary!

Willem with a few of the supplies that MTM gathered for rescuers.

This is the stopped tractor trailer that lost its brakes, carrying the backhoe. Notice the mangled cars on the left.

These 4 cars were towed to the Petionville police station. They were a few of the cars that were in the way of the run away tractor trailer Friday night.

~Sorry for the bad pics, we are having difficulty with our camera! If anyone knows what the problem could be (horizontal lines in the pictures), please write me!~

SCHOOL COLLAPSE IN PETIONVILLE...

2008-11-07T20:19:00.003-06:00

We have received about 2 dozen emails this afternoon, all very similar...
"We just saw on the news...", "..what about the boy's school?", "...where is it at?"

This is a great tragedy & my stomach knotted as I watched in the news cast on American T.V. the young students being pulled from the rummage covered in concrete dust & blood, arms outstretched, face turned upward. Without hearing it, I heard the familiar Haitian cry, "Amway! Amway!". They struggle for a better life & the privilege of going to school is such an honor; an opportunity.

To answer a few questions quickly, simply put, Petionville is between us & Port au Prince. Stephen & David's school is below Petionville & was unaffected by the incident.

A short while ago we received a phone call that a local phone company was trying to rally rescue supplies & could we give. As Stephen, Ron & I rode up to the Gramothe medical clinic on the ATV's, I busied my mind thinking of what I'd need to grab in record time & where I'd go to find it. As we traveled quickly back down the mountain with 3 overflowing backpacks & a big suitcase full of bandaging materials, exam gloves, protective eye wear, face masks, eye drops, bags of i.v. solution, Tylenol, antibiotic cream & just about anything else I thought usable, all I could think of was, "I wish we could have carried more". I know what we sent was helpful, but it's overwhelming to think about.

After we rushed into the gate we placed the bags in the car & Willem was off to meet the person that would take the supplies to the scene of the collapsed school. Since arriving on the scene, Willem has called, reporting another tragedy. A trailer loaded with supplies coming into the area lost it's brakes & ran into a crowd of people, killing many & injuring others.

If you're up for it, below are 3 articles that are quite accurate. I will try to keep everyone posted on further news.
Please pray for the injured & for the families of those who have passed. Please pray for those helping with the rescue efforts. Thank you in advance.

===============================================
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) -- At least 50 people have died in a school collapse in in Petionville, near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, officials said Friday night.

Haitians try to help victims at a school that collapsed Friday in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince.
At least 100 people have been injured, the Haitian Civil Protection Bureau said. The death toll is expected to rise.
Officials said the school could have held as many as 700 people when the collapse occurred at 10 a.m. (10 a.m. ET) Some students were in class while others were in a playground, Haitian media reported.
"We are looking at major casualties here," Claudon said.
He said dozens of students appeared to be trapped inside but couldn't give an exact number. However, he said it was a typical school day and the building had been crowded.
Most of the students at the College La Promesse Evangelique range in age from 10 to 20, he said, but there are younger ones as well. Haitian press reports said the school has kindergarten, primary and secondary students.
President Rene Preval and Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis toured the disaster area.
"I heard and saw with my own eyes children appealing for help," Preval was quoted as saying on the French language www.haitipressnetwork.com.
"We are taking all necessary steps," Pierre-Louis said. " The government has mobilized to save those who can be saved."
Preval asked residents to stay away from the area so police and rescue officials could do their work unimpeded.
Michaele Gedeon, president of Haiti's Red Cross, said she heard the voices of distraught children as rescuers tried to calm them while she was on the phone attempting to coordinate emergency rescue efforts. Watch as the Red Cross official describes the scene »
"On the phone, you can hear so many children, you know, crying, crying and saying, 'this one is dead,' 'that one is dead,' " she said.
Claudon said hundreds of bystanders and rescue workers were digging through the rubble, but "what we need right now is heavy search-and-rescue equipment."
Claudon later said, "local authorities are doing their best."
Fifty to 60 patients, 30 of them severely injured, were taken to Trinite Hospital in Port-au-Prince, said Isabelle Mouniaman Nara, the head of mission in the capital for Medecins sans Frontieres.
Another 150 patients were treated elsewhere, Nara said Friday night.
The situation at Trinite "is under control right now," she said.
Trinite is the only hospital open in Port-au-Prince, the group said. The other two -- General Hospital and Hospital de la Paix -- are closed by strikes.
The school is in an extremely poor part of town, and the roads are nearly impassable, local journalist Clarens Renois said.
A United Nations helicopter was unable to land, Renois said.
"The school is poorly built," said Amelia Shaw, a journalist with United Nations TV who visited the scene.
Renois described the building as "not quite solid" with "weak construction."
The school consisted of two floors with an addition built in the rear over a 200-foot ravine, Shaw said by telephone. The steep hillside, she said, is covered with shanty-like housing on both sides.
The disaster occurred when the second floor crumbled onto the first, Shaw said.
U.S. Ambassador Janet Sanderson expressed her condolences in a note,
================================
Death toll in Haiti school collapse rises to 30
Jonathan M. Katz, Associated Press Writer –
31 mins ago AP –
People help a person out from under the rubble of a school after it collapsed in Petionville, Haiti, …
PETIONVILLE, Haiti (AP) — A hillside school where roughly 500 students usually crowded into several floors collapsed during classes on Friday, killing at least 30 people and injuring many more. Rescuers used bare hands to pull bleeding students from the wreckage.
More children were believed buried in the rubble of the concrete building, and the death toll was likely to go higher, Yphosiane Vil, an civil protection official, told The Associated Press at the scene.
Neighbors suspected the building was poorly rebuilt after it partially collapsed eight years ago, said Jimmy Germain, a French teacher at the school. He said people who lived just downhill abandoned their land out of fear that the building would tumble onto them, and that the school's owner tried to buy up their vacated properties.
The concrete building's third story was still under construction, and Petionville Mayor Claire Lydie Parent told the AP she suspects a structural defect caused the collapse, not the recent rains.
Police commissioner Francene Moreau says the minister who runs the church-operated school could face criminal charges.
Parent said roughly 500 students from kindergarten through high school attend the school, College La Promesse, in the hills above Port-au-Prince. She did not know how many were inside when it collapsed late Friday morning.
The aid group Doctors Without Borders pulled out 85 people, half with life-threatening injuries, said Max Cosci, director of the group's Belgian contingent in Haiti.
Volunteers arrived with shovels and axes and said they would try to deliver water to others trapped inside.
A swelling crowd erupted with wails and prayers as the injured were carried away and emergency vehicles raced up a winding hill to the school.
"My child, my child!" one mother yelled.
"There are no words for this," the mayor said as the search for survivors intensified.
Haitian President Rene Preval visited the scene to offer his sympathy, and asked onlookers to come down from surrounding buildings that engineers feared might have been destablized by the collapse.
United Nations peacekeepers and Haitian police tried to clear a path for three battalions of military engineers from Brazil, Chile and Ecuador to assist in the rescue.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, was sending two helicopters to help, Dominican health minister Bautista Rojas said. France's foreign minister Bernard Kouchner promised to send a rescue team as soon possible.
U.N. military commander Maj. Gen. Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz had to walk uphill to get through the crowd.
"This is going to be an all-day affair," Red Cross official Matt Marek said.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been struggling to recover from widespread riots over rising food prices, a string of hurricanes and tropical storms that killed nearly 800 people.
The U.N. peacekeepers were sent to Haiti following the bloody ouster of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004 and have improved security by fighting gangs and training local police.
=========================================
Twenty killed in Haiti school collapse
Published: Nov. 7, 2008 at 7:53 PM

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- At least 50 were killed -- including children -- when a school collapsed Friday in an affluent neighborhood outside the Haitian capital, Haitian officials said.
An earlier count of 20 fatalities rose to 50 as rescue personnel worked into the night to search the rubble, Red Cross officials told CNN. Officials said as many as 700 people may have been in the school when it collapsed at 10 a.m. EST, CNN reported.
Those killed when the Promesse College Evangelique school collapsed included students, teachers and neighbors from the Petionville neighborhood, police said.
Poor construction was blamed for the building's collapse, The Miami Herald reported in its online edition.
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Interactions...

2008-10-26T15:20:00.008-06:00

At MTM in Haiti, we hope to expose our missions teams to as much as possible.

Yep, that includes adventurous trips across the river to get to the MTM Dumay school.

(remember the pig carrier?!)

Another part of what we do is to make sure all of our visitors are comfortable, cared for & have good food to eat! We try to provide some creature comforts to make coming to a "3rd world country" a little easier. Nothing like a hot shower after a long day's work, internet connectivity to your favorite hometown..

(see anyone you know?)

...or a comfy bed to sleep in safe from creatures that like to "sing" in your ears!

(is that the ladies' room?!)

How great to bring your family to the mission field & have an evening chat with your dad,

or to watch your son nurture relationships with friends!

(WOW!...stand back!)

So, whether at the work site...

..or at the mission house...

...regardless of the talent or the age, there is always work to do!

MTM also partners with other organizations in Haiti to accomplish it's goal.

We were happy to have this young man & his sister (not pictured) work with our recent medical team, as interpreters, to earn required community service hours for their school.

The nurse at Stephen & David's school came up the mountain to stay the night so she could be at the clinic with doctors and nurses for the day. This is her way of continuing her education in Haiti & MTM was happy to provide her the opportunity to be with those we know are some of the best!

(Thanks Miquette, for helping Stephen to be successful with his weekly Bible verse!)

What did you eat today?

2008-10-26T14:52:00.003-06:00

This last week we've been hosting a very special team. This team was diverse in every way, including their medical & surgical talents. MTM, the village of Gramothe as well as folks from up to 6 hours walking distance are grateful.

Iowa, Arizona & Indiana, you know who you are. There are no words to say how grateful we are for you giving of your time, talents & finances that it took for you to be here & to bring precious medical supplies with you.

With all the talents gathered in the mountain clinic of Gramothe, none can cure hunger. Our last 3 medical teams (June, September & October) have seen hunger & desperation like never before.

Most mountain folk, though poor through the eyes of westerners & some other Haitians, are actually better off. They are usually able to grow enough crops & have pasture land for their animals so that they have something to eat. With recent food prices increasing coupled with harsh rains that have washed away farmlands, not much remains.

The father pictured below walked over 4 hours to find help for his young daughter of 2 years weighing in at 16 lbs. His complaint was that scabies were all over his children & that this daughter could not walk. When asked what kind of food she was eating, he said there was no food to eat. Though this might be an exaggeration, it's most likely not by much at all. The father himself looks thin, but is obviously still proud of his family.

MTM is always open for donations that you would feel led to give. Any amount is usable towards helping the Haitian people to help themselves to a better life. Check out our website or ask someone who has been here on a missions trip to find out the many ways that MTM is ministering Christ to Haiti.

You may go to our website & give, or send a check or money order to our Danville, Indiana address.

Thank you for your prayers of strength & for your partnership.

Dumay School...

2008-10-26T14:10:00.004-06:00

Schools in Haiti were finally allowed by the government to open their doors to students on October 6th. I cannot tell you how children on the streets dressed in starched, bright uniforms on their way to school beaming with delight! As I drove I watched them bounce to their tap-tap or walk their path with no sight of dread for how they would get to school, just excitement that they were going!

One very important element of the education of children attending the MTM schools is the hot, nutritious lunch they receive at noon each school day. With the tremendous increase in food prices all around the world, but immensely more in Haiti, MTM is extremely blessed to have a Canadian based organization temporarily raising funds to help offset expenses for the lunch program in Dumay that our student sponsorship monies are not able to cover at this time.

Some recent work on our finances reveal that only 1/3 of our students have sponsors that are faithfully paying their commitment. This is the money that is used to pay our Haitian staff, feed our students, provide books & materials as well as health care.

FACT: MTM is operating 2 Pre-K through 6th grade schools plus a high school (through grade 10). MTM employees & pays, on time each month, 85 locals as teachers, janitors, cooks and assistants. Each student (& employee) at both schools receive a hot lunch each school day, receive needed medical care & are equipped with tools necessary to do their jobs & to be educated.

If you are a sponsor that is maintaining your commitment, THANK YOU!

If you are a sponsor that has fallen behind in your sponsorship, contact us today.

If you are not a sponsor & would like to be, sign up at our website (http://www.mtmhaiti.com/) NOW!

Thank you, Rice Raisers, for your partnership!

Another group that has been drawn to the area of Dumay is Surrey Alliance Church in Surrey, BC, Canada. They brought us a team in August that did work projects at the school in Dumay.

How blessed the preschool children were to walk into their classrooms this fall! The teachers feel like they're in heaven teaching! Everyone is happy, happy, happy!

Thank you, Surrey Alliance, for brightening these children's lives!

MTM FOUNDER GETS PROCEDURE...

2008-10-24T15:53:00.003-06:00

Our very own over 40, over zealous, over achieving Willem Charles recently recieved a life changing procedure by visiting doctors from the Dubuque, Iowa & Terre Haute, Indiana areas.

After a little attention, everything was fine. Our fearless leader is now "back at it"!

Meet Sheila!

2008-10-24T15:41:00.004-06:00

Sheila is now 3 days old & continues to do well. Her mother, Mme. Stephen, also continues to do well in her recovery.

Now, I'm not sure of the exact spelling of her name. In Haiti there is a brand of rice called, "Shella", pronouced the same, but I can't say she looks like a grain of rice so we'll have to wait to hear more about this!

Until then you can be sure that this little one will be called,

"Ti-Sheilla", "Ti" meaning little.

For the record, someone may recognize the chick blanket in this picture & the yellow cap in a previous picture. These were brought to the MTM Gramothe Clinic by visiting PNP, Cindy Read. Thank you to those who put these birthing kits together!

She's arrived!

2008-10-22T18:35:00.002-06:00

MTM's very own master chef of the school kitchen, Mme. Stephen, gave birth to a little girl, Tuesday, October 21st at about 8 p.m.!

Both mom & baby are doing very well. Dr. Marcia, Dr. Joe & Dr. Tammy are here this week holding clinic. When the phone call came that Mme. Stephen's water had broke, they rushed up the mountain, arriving just after the home birth had occured.

Praise the Lord!

New Arrivals!

2008-10-14T07:17:00.003-06:00

Finally out of Haitian customs is this Ford Excursion, purchased for MTM to help move in-coming teams from the airport to the mountain. The last MTM team arrived to the PAP airport, in the rain, & drove to the mountain, in the rain. Yes, that means all of the people & the luggage were soaked by the time they arrived. The Excursion can shuttle 10 people plus carry ons, & best of all for us, it's diesel! A big, big thanks to all of those in Iowa that helped with this purchase, customs & the process of it all from start to finish!

Tightly packed away in the Excursion was this brand new sound system. Thank you to those in Terre Haute who provided this badly needed, valuable piece of equipment to the church of Gramothe.

Matt has an enthusiastic student as Stephen is detirmined to be the new sound man!

Now here's a good lookin' sound man who is ready to be in control!

Thanks Matt for all your help!

Church in Gramothe will never be the same!

Praise the Lord!

More Toilet Photos!

2008-10-07T20:57:00.005-06:00

Ok, look closely as these may be the last of the Gramothe School Toilet photos that you get to see for a long time!

The "doors" (shower curtains-thanks to Molly & her wonderful mother!) are up & the facilities have had 2 days of initiation by students & staff :)

Students are thrilled & just can't believe that someone would be in there having a "b.m." & noone knows (ha! the blessing of a personal window-exhaust!)!

Enjoy the following pics & hey, thanks for letting us share!

Primary school girls trying out the new sink.

High school girl checking out the new flush toilet.

Some of the high school guys get a tip from Willem of where not to aim :)

Just a cute bunch of guys getting a handwashing lesson.

New Gramothe School Toilet Update!

2008-10-06T16:30:00.003-06:00

We hate to keep harping about toilets, but folks, this is a really big deal! I mean, it's big enough that Willem stood in the pulpit Sunday morning & explained to the people how to flush (& what not to flush) & the importance of washing their hands after.

Imagine never knowing any other means of going to the toilet except either squatting on the ground or going to the outhouse.

The teachers & students were so happy today as they returned to school seeing the new facility.

Stay tuned, Willem has promised new & improved pictures tomorrow!

Mountain Top Ministries Student Sponsors

2008-10-01T12:58:00.003-06:00

Are you someone who is blessed to be a sponsor of a student who is attending one of the Mountain Top Ministries schools? If so, thank you for your continued faithfulness! If not, go to our website at http://www.mtmhaiti.com/ and register today to become one! Current MTM sponsors may also now register and set up their contributions, online!

Sending a Haitian child to school is a life time investment both in their personal life and for the future of their country, and, our world!

By sponsoring a student, your $25/month contribution helps to pay the teachers and staff of the school, purchase many of the books and supplies needed as well as help to provide a hot lunch for students every school day.

Students also benefit by providing the MTM medical teams traveling from the United States and Canada a "captive audiance" of which to do all kinds of specialized hygiene teaching from learning how to properly wash their hands, to brushing and caring for their teeth as well as proper nutrition. Students also recieve de-worming meds twice each year as well as individualized medical attention, as needed.

MTM is very proud of the progress that our directors and teaching staff have made with our students. For 6 of the 9 years that our schools have been open, most all of our students are passing their 6th grade annual government exams that are given here in Haiti. This is a very difficult, cumulative exam that is often failed. How exciting when our students pass and are able to continue on into the highschool!

Don't forget, as an MTM student sponsor, our Haitian doors are always open for you to come visit your student, their family and their village. Nothing will bless you more!

"Deb" with one of her sponsored students.

In Memory of Madna...

2008-09-22T15:35:00.002-06:00

Madna Henry was a bright young lady of 15 years old.

In the Mountain Top Ministies Gramothe school since it's beginning, Madna was always an excellent student with a promising future, preparing to enter high school this year.

Just before her untimely death, those in the MTM Gramothe clinic were able to confirm her confession of Jesus Christ as her Lord & Saviour as well as pray with her.

Only God knows the illness that struck Madna & took her to her grave.

MTM has been steadily progressing towards being able to have the Gramothe clinic open full time as well as the vision to build a hospital near by.

Please pray with us that this vision will become a reality for the people of Haiti.

MTM Gramothe School Toilet House...

2008-09-12T21:10:00.002-06:00

Okay, here they are, the missing pictures of the MTM Gramothe School Toilet House being tiled!

An outside view, boys to the left, girls to the right...
Praise the Lord!

This week in Gramothe...

2008-09-11T22:07:00.003-06:00

Greetings from a dryer, less windy Haiti! Praise God the hurricanes have moved on, for now.

The country continues to suffer greatly as the masses of people whose homes & lives have been destroyed are now looking for food for their families. Most have lost their gardens & entire fields along with their homes. We're not sure any of us know the depth of the devastation that continues to take place in Haiti right now.
Please pray.
Hard times are still ahead as the usual flow of food products nationwide will not be available. It's mind boggling to hear reports & to try to imagine what has happened here. Deforestation, definitely one of the root causes of so much of the flooding.
A confirmation, the Haitian government has ordered that all schools remain closed until October 6th. It will be a difficult year for students to have lost a full month of school.

On that note we would like to take time to brag on the MTM school director, teaching staff & on the Lord...All but 2 of our 6th grade students passed the national exam! This is an incredible reflection on the MTM school director & teaching staff as this is an extremely difficult test that few students are able to pass. We are very proud of our staff & students & of course, praise the Lord!!!

On to what has been going on in Gramothe this week...

The workers are laying tile inside of the bathrooms that are being built for the PreK-11th grades. YES! Finally a real bathroom for the students to use!
There will be 6 porcelain toilets on each side (boys & girls) with a hand washing station on the outside of the bathroom. I had trouble downloading pictures, but will try again tomorrow.

While in the village today, Willem found "Dr." Tika. He told Willem about the destruction to his home. The roof had blown completely off his house & the front door was literally ripped off of it's hinges by the wind.
MTM is praying to find donors to help us to build "Dr." Tika a new house that would consist of a sleeping room, a "receiving" room & a covered front porch, all made of solid concrete block, guaranteed not to blow away! If you would like to assist in this project, please designate your donation as "Tika's house".
You might notice that the prefix of Dr. is in quotes. For those of you who don't know Tika, he has been the only midwife/doctor in the Gramothe area for many, many years. He is at odds as he cannot find someone to take over his trade :) He is not real respected by the people of the village, they tease him mostly, but Willem has found favor with Tika by showing him off to all the "foreign" doctors as the "doctor" of the village. Tika is a jolly little man, always happy, always carrying something somewhere & always a delight to see & say hello to.

Tika & his "for life" bride...

Tika at the opening for his door (the door is behind him...

Collecting the tin that had blown away & strategically putting rocks on the roof as weights helps give Tika temporary shelter from the elements. This is what he has to work with so this is what he does.

Something new for the mountain!

2008-09-08T20:32:00.002-06:00

Yes, you're seeing right, that's a bull dozer currently working above Gramothe! A new road is being graded that will connect Gramothe to the top of the mountain. Now, this road is fine for an ATV, but I'm not quite sure it's ready for a vehicle!
Needless to say, the people on the mountain have been so excited to see such an event. Everyday I can hear the dozer working from our home & when looking out I can see the crowds standing on the side of the road watching!
This is really something new for the mountain!
Many wait to see how this will affect their ability to get crops to market as well as needed supplies into their villages. We wonder if they really understand the impact this will have on their lives.
Time will tell.

Gramothe Dry Food Distribution...

2008-09-08T20:14:00.002-06:00

Tonight Willem, Stephen, David & I hopped on the ATV's & rushed to Gramothe to distribute rice and oil to locals there. As we were driving up the truck that had carried the rice was coming down.
As the Haitian night was falling, 200 people lined up to recieve 2 marmiets (our measurement for a 5 lb. coffee can) full of rice and a bottle of oil. Everyone went home happy while another 200-300 wait in anticipation for their turn tomorrow night. That will be 400-500 families that will have food.
Thank you to those who have generously given to make this night happen. I'm sure these precious people will sleep well tonight knowing they have food for their families tomorrow.

Praise the Lord!

Pictures from around Haiti...

2008-09-08T08:24:00.004-06:00

We've received so many emails from both well wishers in North America and other missionaries trying to stay in touch with each other.
Below are some pictures from around Haiti.

The following 4 pictures were taken in Gonaives...

Notice the people on their roof tops...
A line of people leaving the city...
Pictures from Les Cayes...

Pictures from Hinche...

Port Au Prince area...
(The above pictures were provided by Missionary Flights International website.)
I also have pictures from missionary friends in Passe Catabois near Port de Paix, but I was not savvy enough to get them into this blog. This morning they sent the following text message, "Ike is over, no internet and no e-mail. No drinkingwater. Houses are destroyed.
Greetings from Rob and Anne-Marie"

Please continue to pray for Haiti.

Dumay Dry Food Distribution...

2008-09-07T18:33:00.007-06:00

Just after the destruction of hurricane Hanna and just before the arrival of hurricane Ike, Mountain Top Ministries was able to conduct a dry feed distribution in the village of Dumay this past Friday. The hundreds of people that came to recieve rice and oil were victims of recent flooding and were grateful for the food that their families would now have.

Thank you to those who contributed to make this happen.

"Ike" update..

2008-09-07T15:26:00.003-06:00

We are receiving many emails from well wishers in North America, thank you for your prayers and concerns.

In our area, this evening, the weather has stabilized, though we continue to receive rain. There are reports that the public electric company is out surveying the damage here in the mountains but we don't anticipate a quick recovery. Most of the main lines are down and they will have many broken poles to replace. We and others fortunate enough to have generators are running them for short periods each day. Fortunately, roads are clear of trees and brush so we are able to get to the store and the schools that are open have remained on their normal weekly schedule.

We are hearing from friends in other parts of the country that are still receiving heavy rains and wind. There is much flooding in areas near Port de Paix, Gonaives, St. Marc and Jeramie. Haiti has been hit hard. Many have lost their lives, their possessions and their homes.

The Haitian schools open tomorrow. Gramothe is ready and food supplies have been delivered for their lunch program. The MTM Dumay school is also scheduled to open tomorrow. We are waiting to hear word from the school director about the status of the area with the passing of hurricane "Ike". More about a dry food distribution that Willem as able to do there on Friday in the next post.

Again, thank you for your many prayers for Haiti. Please, keep praying that the Haitian people would somehow see God Almighty glorified through this tragedy that has covered their land.

Sincerely,
Willem & Beth

Gustav, Hannah & here comes Ike...

2008-09-04T10:29:00.002-06:00

Thomassin 46

Thomassin 48

These were common scenes as I drove the boys home from school this past Tuesday as hurricane Hannah blew into our part of Haiti. Port Au Prince was calm, but the further I drove into the mountains towards home, the worse things became. Suddenly, all those scenes from t.v. newscasters standing in hurricane force winds reporting as debris flew past, came to life in my head!

Though we didn't recieve the rainfall that other places in Haiti did, we got wind like never before. The big difference that we can figure is that Hannah blew in from the north instead of the south, which is the usual path that most of the hurricanes follow. We'll be without electric for a while, however, we are quite blessed when we look at places like Gonaives that are under water, much like the floods of 2004 with hurrican Jeannie.

Gramothe is faring well. The people are able to get out & move about & mostly only the bannana & plantain crops have been harmed. We are still waiting for reports from Dumay, but know that they would have been threatened by the swelling river that is nearby. Schools in Haiti open September 8th, that's next Monday. Ike is forecasted to hit us Friday or Saturday. Rain is falling now, it looks like a wet week ahead.

Thank you in advance for your (continued) prayers for the people of Haiti.

Sincerely in Christ,

Willem & Beth

NEXT MEDICAL TEAM TO MOUNTIAN TOP MINISTRIES...

2008-07-27T20:18:00.002-06:00

The next medical team coming from the Terre Haute, IN area to Mountain Top Ministries is scheduled for...

Monday, September 15th to Monday, September 22nd.

Space is available if you or someone you know is interested in joining this team. For more information, contact MTM today.

THANK YOU!

2008-07-27T19:55:00.002-06:00

A really big thank you to all of those who attended the July 25th MTM Reunion in Terre Haute. It has been estimated that about 250 were in attendance with freinds traveling from as far away as Hamilton, IN, Eureka, IL and Coatesville, IN. We are grateful to all who made the effort to be there to join us in a great time of fellowship!

Our time stateside is quickly coming to an end & we are greatful to those of you who have hosted us in your homes, shared MTM with your churches and with your friends. Many more will now be praying for this ministry, lots of students at the MTM Gramothe & Dumay schools now have sponsors, some others will be traveling to Haiti for the first time in the coming months & many others will be partnering with MTM in other ways. By working together, we get things done!

Since you are reading this blog, you've most likely gotten to it through the new MTM website. We are excited about the new web site & encourage you to utilize it to it's fullest! It is also hoped that you will find it to be a helpful tool to share Mountain Top Ministries with others. Keep checking back here to see what's new!

Again, thank you for blessing our family, the ministry of Mountain Top Ministries and the Haitian people. May God bless you abundantly!

Sincerely,
Willem & Beth

YOU ARE INVITED....

2008-07-05T20:53:00.004-06:00

FRIDAY, JULY 25TH

6:30 p.m.

MOUNTAIN TOP MINISTRIES REUNION

World Gospel Church

U.S. Hwy. 46, Terre Haute, IN

For more information or directions call Willem or Beth at

812-239-3565 or 812-239-3449.

This event is to bring us together for a time of fellowship. We will enjoy a meal together, be informed by a brief program and MTM will present ministry opportunities.

Bring your trip pictures, your sponsored student profile and anyone that you would like to introduce to the ministry work of Mountain Top Ministries.

See you there!

We're in Indiana!

2008-06-23T23:08:00.002-06:00

After a hasty flight to Miami since our flight to Fort Lauderdale was cancelled, we were on our way to a couple days' stay at Tybee Island, GA. Our family had a great few days there resting & enjoying some of the sights & activities before beginning our drive to Terre Haute.

(Sorry, no pictures...I'm working on a different computer & having some "technical" difficulties!)

Soon we'll be in a wonderful condo that has been provided for our summer stay. Praise God for his provision of a comfortable place for our family to rest in while we continue in ministry to those around us! A great big thank you to all of you who helped to make these accommodations to happen for us.

The following are some of our upcoming dates. If you are able, please feel free to join us in the services!
*Interview with WPFR radio station-FM 99.1 (TBA)
*Farmers' Chapel Church, Terre Haute, IN-June 29th, a.m. & p.m. services
*United Methodist Church on Fruitridge & Maple Ave., Terre Haute, IN-June 6th, a.m. service
*Coatesville Christian Church, Coatesville, IN-July 6th, p.m. service
*Mt. Pleasant U.M. Church, Terre Haute, IN-July 13th, a.m. service
*Oregon Baptist Church, Terre Haute, IN-July 13th, p.m. service
*July 17th-20 we'll be traveling to Dubuque, IA for a fundraiser & church services
*****Friday, July 25th @6:30 p.m. be at the World Gospel Church, State Road 46, Terre Haute, IN for the first ever MTM Reunion/Fundraising event. We will be sharing about MTM, giving you all time to fellowship & share about your part of Haiti with each other as we "break bread" & reminisce together. You won't want to miss this event! Be watching for more details.
*Sullivan Baptist Church, Sullivan, IN-July 27th, a.m. service
*Clinton Baptist Church, Clinton, IN-July 27th, p.m. service
*Cross Tabernacle, Terre Haute, IN-July 30th, p.m. service
*Terre Haute 1st Baptist Church, Terre Haute, IN-August 3rd, a.m. service
*King's Highway Tabernacle Church, Terre Haute, IN-August 3rd, p.m. service

Stay tuned for more!

DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?

2008-04-28T06:58:00.002-06:00

He is now your brother in Christ!

Sainristil Tilus gave his heart to Jesus yesterday, testifying that he was turning from a life of serving satan with his witchcraft to serving who he now knows to be the One true God of the world!

Praise the Lord!

Sainristil is pictured above with his wife (a long time Gramothe church member) & 2 of his 15 children. His youngest child, Sofia, is presently being adopted to a family in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Church leaders pray with Sainristil before he prays to ask God, in the name of Jesus, to forgive him of his sins & to come into his heart as Lord over his life.

The Gramothe church was very excited about this conversion as they have prayed for this man for many years!

CHECK THIS OUT!

2008-04-26T16:48:00.003-06:00

New Jersey school teacher, Laura Gesin, came to visit us in March during her spring break.

A year ago December she found MTM on-line & decided to write. Laura appeared on our doorstep a few months later! Since then, Laura has captured a great vision for helping MTM to develop a supplimental English speaking program for our high school students that will grow into a school-wide program.

Please take time to visit her website to read about her trip & see her pics. She has alot to say & had some really great pics, even one of her & I! I'll let you see for yourself, go to:

www.lauragesin.net/haiti2008

While you are there you can go to her archives to see about her 2007 trip.

Please pray for Laura & MTM as we venture thru this program!

THANK YOU FOR GIVING!

2008-04-26T16:25:00.003-06:00

It recently came to our attention that people really do read our blog!

How blessed we were to find that some have chosen to send additional finances to Mountain Top Ministries for our feeding programs. After reading our update about the demonstrations that were taking place here in Haiti recently, these folks were compelled to take action.

Thank you!

Your additional finances will help to offset costs of the feeding programs that we are responsible for at both of our schools & at our children's home.

Currently, people are continuing with their daily lives, being watchful that another uprising could happen at any time. Still, nothing else has changed with the situation that initially set off demonstrations two weeks ago. We wait to see what actions the government will take & then we wait to see how the public will respond.

While we wait we keep our pantry stocked with staples & thru this experience we've also learned to keep an additional reserve of food at each of the schools & at the children's home.

With your continued giving we are able to provide for our students & staff.

They are thankful each day.

Because of your partnership, MTM is able to give them one less thing to worry about in their day.

If you are sponsoring a student or giving to our feeding programs, thank you, & please, continue. If you are not, but would like to give, you may do so online at our website:

www.mtm-haiti.org

or you may send a check or money order made payable to MTM at:

Mountain Top Ministries

c/o Calvary Chapel of Danville

2165 E. Main St.

Danville, IN 46122

*please designate your giving to "food programs"

Again, on behalf of the many Haitian people that you are touching with your prayers & giving,

THANK YOU!