What stories have impacted your heart lately?  There are so many stories worth listening to that it becomes overwhelming.  Sometimes we just turn off our ears and hearts.

We spent the last two weeks living with Pastor Antoine, one of our Haitian partners.  We traveled around giving him the opportunity to tell the stories of what is happening in Haiti.  Believe me we have been doing spiritual warfare the whole time.  And God will not let us close our ears or hearts to the cries of his people.  

Antoine was supposed to arrive the evening of April 28, but didn't get here until the morning of  April 30.  He literally laid his life on the line to come and tell us the stories of the needs, trauma, and resilience of his people in the village of Neply.  In the outlying villages there is safety from the violence, but they are so weary and hungry, and struggling to understand why, despite their faith and prayers, nothing seems to change.

Have you been impacted by the story of the formula shortage, with people desperate to find formula for their babies?  How can this be, we ask, in the USA?  It is a real problem.  Now imagine that you are a parent, sister, brother, grandparent and you have no way to feed the children, not for a few months, but day after day, month after month, year after year.  You literally live day to day wondering if you will have food tomorrow.  

Now imagine that you desperately want to feed your children, but there is no work.  Unemployment is at 90%, worse than it was 5 years ago.

Now imagine that gas is $12 a gallon, if you can even get it.  The mission can no longer take the children to school on their truck, so children are walking 3-6 miles round trip to school, on an empty stomach.  Antoine desperately would like to feed the children at school each day.

 We hear stories about the rise in mental health issues we are facing because of Covid.  It is very real and must be dealt with.  Now imagine that you have experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, gang violence, extreme poverty (you can't feed your children) and political corruption on top of the covid.  Pastor Antoine asks us to pray for their mental health.  They are desperate.

We can't save all of Haiti, but we have been significantly impacting the village of Neply by providing education through trade school or university, by feeding orphans, and paying the salaries of teachers at the Love Haiti school.  But after listening to the stories for two weeks we know that God is calling us to do more!  We need to raise the salaries of the teachers so they can feed their families.  We need to raise the funds so that we can feed the students, and we want to provide funding for basic medical care in the village.  

It will take open hearts and open pocketbooks!  We invite you to respond beautifully to what God is calling all pf us to do together!  You can be a part of raising up a village, giving them new hope and assuring them that GOD has not forgotten them.  WE ARE GOD'S AGENTS!!

If you have read right through this blog I want to encourage you to read it again, but this time stop after each paragraph and imagine what God is calling you to do. 

Personal message me hollyschutlois@gmail.com If you have questions.  97% of what you give goes directly to our partners...we promise!  To give online go to www.beautifulresponse.org  or make a check out to Beautiful Response and send it to Laura Hoekstra, 386 S. Watertown St., Waupun, WI 53963