NEWS FROM NORA

Communiqué #050

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

June 15, 2008

Has someone in your life ever done something so incredible for you that you wondered if ever in your lifetime you would be able to find a way to repay them?

I am struck by how God has given Léon and me the possibility of a chance like that!

Just yesterday, Léon had a visitor.  I had never seen this man before and had no idea what he had come to talk to Léon about.  Later, I learned that this man’s 16 year old daughter is in need of heart surgery that is unavailable here in Haiti.  Someone had told him that maybe I could help and upon arriving at our home, he had encountered Léon first.  After his departure, Léon told me that he would be returning with his daughter so that I could go over all of the necessary information with them in hopes of obtaining help for his daughter.

Only a couple of hours passed before the man returned with his beautiful, young daughter.  While I took down the necessary information, I learned that the father had been one of Léon’s teachers in elementary school.  I couldn’t resist asking him if Léon was a good student.  He answered my questions with only a smile.  We continued filling out the paperwork and soon afterward they left.

Today, Léon and I were talking and he said that he didn’t know if the father of the girl remembered it or not, but it was the father who prayed with Léon right after he took Jesus into his heart one day at elementary school.  Léon said that gesture is something that he will never forget.  And then a year later, the father proceeded to ask Léon to be a Bible teacher at school.

I cannot wait to see the father again!  I want him to know how he forever touched the life of my husband and helped in preparing him to be the person that he is today.  How can you thank someone for something like that?   By some great miracle, I pray that we can help by finding someone to perform the life-saving surgery for his daughter!!!!   Who would have ever guessed that years and years later God would give us this chance!

I would cherish your prayers, not only for this 16 year old girl, but also for a 7 month old girl, and an 8 year old girl who all have come to me in the last week seeking needed surgeries for heart problems, as well as a 4 year old boy needing treatment for severe burns.  As we know, God hears and answers prayers!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #049

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

May 25, 2008

Today, as I write this, it is Mother’s Day in Haiti – not the second Sunday in May as in the United States, but the last Sunday of May. 

For weeks now, I have been trying to wrap my mind around what happened to me in the weeks preceding Mother’s Day and the actual weekend of Mother’s Day in the United States.  What started it all was my daughter entering me into a contest that she hoped might win me flowers for a year.  What resulted was quite different than we could ever have imagined!  Through it all, we were certain that God had orchestrated the whole event to bring attention to the needs of the people in Haiti.  We never imagined that He would use National television to achieve this!  Through it all, I prayed that His name would be glorified!  I prayed that one person would be touched by my story!

I had come to the states to do my income taxes, a few speaking engagements, and to visit my daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons.  Only a few days before my return to Haiti, my daughter and I received a confirmation phone call that I was one of fifteen finalists to be featured on the TODAY Show for Teleflora’s America’s Favorite Mom Reality Show, in part due to the missionary work that I do with the poor and orphaned children of Haiti!  I postponed my return to Haiti and got ready for the ride of my life.  Soon, I was whisked away to a whirlwind trip of pampering and jet setting!   I arrived in New York City on Wednesday, just in time to be treated to a show on Broadway.  Thursday, I was up bright and early, chauffeured to Rockefeller Center, where I found myself in the make-up room of the Today Show, preparing to be on Live National Television for a short one minute or two! 

Delays in my return flight landed me in Denver at 2AM on Friday morning and then on to Los Angeles, a few short hours later, where I met up with my daughter and two other guests who I was allowed to invite for a short weekend of star treatment.  A beautiful hotel, a free rental car, and dress rehearsal at the renowned Sony Production Studios were all part of the dreamlike weekend.  I met several incredible mothers, who were also a part of the “competition.”  In reality, it was not a competition at all!  It was a celebration of the many ways women can be great mothers.  There was lots of love being shared amongst the “contestants” and a mutual respect for the talents that each mother brought to the lives of their families!  We all enjoyed our time on the set – visiting the make-up and wardrobe trailers, having a dressing room, meeting Donny & Marie Osmond, filming in the studio where the original tornado scene of the Wizard of Oz was once filmed, and taping the Mother’s Day show before a live audience.   My daughter’s dream of being able to financially help the people of Haiti through this contest came true when I was voted the winner of the Adoptive Mom category.  The cash prize that was awarded will go a long way in helping with some of the many projects that are in the works in Les Cayes and Ile-a-Vache!   THANK YOU GOD!  THANK YOU TASHA!

For those of you who watched the show, you already know what the biggest surprise was for me – the surprise guest appearance of my husband Léon!!!  I was totally blown away!!! After 6 weeks of being apart, there he was!  He was able to share in this unbelievable weekend that I knew I would not have the words to explain to him when I returned to Haiti, as he knows nothing about the world of national television in America and the shows that are so much a part of the American way of life.  It was not until we were both back in Haiti that we could talk about the experience that still seems like a dream.  The production people had called Léon at 11PM on the Thursday night before Mother’s Day and told him to be on a plane to Los Angeles the next morning in Port-au-Prince …. no small feat (as those of you who have ever traveled in the uncertain transportation of Haiti know) let alone that it was asked of a person who had only been to the United States one other time and had NEVER traveled alone through the airports of the U.S.A!!!  Léon explained to me that until he arrived in LA and talked to my daughter on the phone, he was not sure that the whole trip was just not a hoax.  He said he trusted strangers and took the chance.  He thought perhaps I was very sick and people did not want to frighten him, but rather asked him to come to LA with a different explanation OR maybe he was taking a chance that he would be sorry for.  What a joy it was for him to realize it was a “good thing” that he was traveling to LA for and that good people had helped him make a BIG surprise for his wife.  I was so proud to learn how he had been able to maneuver through the airports, change his flights to standby and actually make it to LA with little or no problem.  Upon leaving Miami, he had thought that LA was probably about 1 hour away from Miami.  He said after two hours passed, then three hours, then four hours and finally after five hours, he decided to ask the person next to him how far LA was from Miami.  When he learned it was about six hours, he finally relaxed and took a nap.  He had NO idea it was so far away.  The surprises continued for him as he learned about television in the United States and the huge amounts of money spent on us.  We were even given an extra day together in LA, where we enjoyed the beach and watched someone catch a shark on the pier!

Too soon the weekend was over and Léon headed back to Les Cayes and I returned to Casper Wyoming to pack up my things and say goodbye to my daughter and her family, returning to Haiti a few short days thereafter!

The true reality of all these recent events settles back in when I have the kids of the orphanage in my arms.  The kids here know nothing about TV Shows and celebrities.  To them I am just plain Mommy Nora and they tell me that they do not want me to be gone so long again!  These are the kids that the excitement is all about – kids that need love, kids that deserve a chance in life!

God has been doing some incredible things for their future through the ripple effect of the television exposure.  I have received some interesting and promising telephone calls and emails.  I now await what God has in store for the future!  Don’t we have an INCREDIBLE God?!?!?!  Can you wait to see what His next plan is????

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #048

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 31, 2008

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Léon and I decided to visit a newborn baby and her family.  As an after thought, we also decided to stop in to see the boys of the orphanage.  Usually our visits are greeted by a scurrying of little feet over the gravel of the front yard, before little bodies pounce into our arms because of our welcomed visit.  On this day, that was not the case.  All was quiet.  The courtyard was empty.  Soon we discovered several little guys on their beds, sentenced to this confinement for some misbehavior that had occurred.   The caregivers explained the behavior that had prompted the confinement and now Poppy Léon immediately went into “father mode.”   All the boys were called into one room.  Each boy knelt on the concrete floor and listened to the virtues of being respectful to your elders.  Poppy Léon explained that the caregivers do many things for the children, like feeding them, bathing them, clothing them and in return the boys must show respect to them by obeying.   A somber group got to their feet and headed outside to play.

Those few moments of soberness quickly gave way to squeals of joy when Poppy Léon discovered that the coconut tree was overflowing with ripe coconuts.  A machete was called for.  Poppy Léon promptly chopped 20 coconuts from the tree, whacking a slice off each one to expose the coconut milk.  3 caregivers and 17 little boys eagerly tipped the milk into their mouths, down their shirts, and onto the dirt below.  The ripples of happiness were everywhere.  A pure, simple joy only known to kids in tropical climates!   Even the littlest tots were enjoying the sticky, sweet nectar!   When all the liquid had been consumed, Poppy Léon again manned the machete to cut each coconut in half, exposing the fresh, rubbery meat.  Spoons appeared out of nowhere, as each child carved out pieces of the white flesh!   I sat back and just soaked in all of the smiles.  A simple treat!  A sun-shiny day!  A savored moment!  Joys this simple occur even in orphanages!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #047

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 12, 2008

It has been a busy time here in Les Cayes!  Mission teams love the cooler temperatures in Haiti during the months of January and February.  Thus, we have been blessed with a multitude of teams providing a variety of services to our ministry here.  In January, we had an orphanage interaction team, an evangelism team, and a dental clinic.  In February, we had a medical & eyeglass team, a handyman team who did repairs for us and constructed a chicken coop for the orphanage, an exploratory team for future mission outreach and a youth interaction team!   Not only do mission teams bring people eager to help the Haitian people, but also they are a great source of encouragement for the church community here.  For many of the team members it was their first visit to the country of Haiti.  We love when this happens as it just adds to the number of ambassadors that we will have who will be talking to friends and family back home about the many needs here!

March, April, May, June and July also will greet us with more teams who have promised to come!  Wow!  What a blessing these many teams are in the year 2008!   With all of the teams that have or will have blessed us with their presence, one might think that they leave no work undone!  On the contrary, the tasks here are countless!  We are just making a small dent!

In the midst of the teams, other matters continue to need our time and attention.  Five of the kids at The Children of Israel Orphanage are in the final (hopefully!) stages of their adoptions to families in the states.  Five children, from outlying villages, are in the process of getting medical visas to travel to the United States for surgery that is unavailable here.  Almost daily, people continue to come asking for food, medicine, clothes, shoes, school tuition assistance or to take one or more of their children into the orphanage.

Small reminders of the starkness of life in Haiti surface at the least expected times.  As I was waiting outside the bank for a ride home, I noticed an old man squatting by the curb.  He was reaching into the gutter to wash his hands in the water that contained tadpoles, feces, urine and green slime.  Following his hand washing, he crossed the street with a few rags in his hand where he received a few coins to clean someone’s car headlights and windshield.   Imagine having to live like that!  Imagine how little food he must eat with the few coins that he is able to earn each day.

Some of you have recently read in national newspapers about the cookies that are made from dirt and are being eaten by people in Haiti who do not have enough money for real food.  It may seem like an impossibility, but it is very true.  One of our medical mission teams was screening a young patient prior to his seeing the doctor.  He was complaining of sores in his mouth.  He went on to tell the interviewer that he is so hungry that he has been eating dirt – not even dirt cookies, just plain old (contaminated) dirt!  Can you imagine a hunger that severe???

How blessed we are!  Not only do we have clothes to wear, schools to attend, jobs for employment, but we have an abundance of delicious, nutritious meals!   Please pray for the people of the world that do not have any of these luxuries!   Please continue to help us make a difference in the lives or the poor and orphaned!

NOTE:  Check out the new photo albums where I am beginning to post photos of sponsored school children and

children needing medical treatment in the states!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #047

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 12, 2008

It has been a busy time here in Les Cayes!  Mission teams love the cooler temperatures in Haiti during the months of January and February.  Thus, we have been blessed with a multitude of teams providing a variety of services to our ministry here.  In January, we had an orphanage interaction team, an evangelism team, and a dental clinic.  In February, we had a medical & eyeglass team, a handyman team who did repairs for us and constructed a chicken coop for the orphanage, an exploratory team for future mission outreach and a youth interaction team!   Not only do mission teams bring people eager to help the Haitian people, but also they are a great source of encouragement for the church community here.  For many of the team members it was their first visit to the country of Haiti.  We love when this happens as it just adds to the number of ambassadors that we will have who will be talking to friends and family back home about the many needs here!

March, April, May, June and July also will greet us with more teams who have promised to come!  Wow!  What a blessing these many teams are in the year 2008!   With all of the teams that have or will have blessed us with their presence, one might think that they leave no work undone!  On the contrary, the tasks here are countless!  We are just making a small dent!

In the midst of the teams, other matters continue to need our time and attention.  Five of the kids at The Children of Israel Orphanage are in the final (hopefully!) stages of their adoptions to families in the states.  Five children, from outlying villages, are in the process of getting medical visas to travel to the United States for surgery that is unavailable here.  Almost daily, people continue to come asking for food, medicine, clothes, shoes, school tuition assistance or to take one or more of their children into the orphanage.

Small reminders of the starkness of life in Haiti surface at the least expected times.  As I was waiting outside the bank for a ride home, I noticed an old man squatting by the curb.  He was reaching into the gutter to wash his hands in the water that contained tadpoles, feces, urine and green slime.  Following his hand washing, he crossed the street with a few rags in his hand where he received a few coins to clean someone’s car headlights and windshield.   Imagine having to live like that!  Imagine how little food he must eat with the few coins that he is able to earn each day.

Some of you have recently read in national newspapers about the cookies that are made from dirt and are being eaten by people in Haiti who do not have enough money for real food.  It may seem like an impossibility, but it is very true.  One of our medical mission teams was screening a young patient prior to his seeing the doctor.  He was complaining of sores in his mouth.  He went on to tell the interviewer that he is so hungry that he has been eating dirt – not even dirt cookies, just plain old (contaminated) dirt!  Can you imagine a hunger that severe???

How blessed we are!  Not only do we have clothes to wear, schools to attend, jobs for employment, but we have an abundance of delicious, nutritious meals!   Please pray for the people of the world that do not have any of these luxuries!   Please continue to help us make a difference in the lives or the poor and orphaned!

NOTE:  Check out the new photo albums where I am beginning to post photos of sponsored school children and

children needing medical treatment in the states!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #046

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

January 17, 2008

Joy can so quickly be changed into sadness.  I was joyful when I learned that one of the babies that had been brought to the states for surgery was well enough to return to his family in Haiti.  Even though I was in the states at the time when he returned, I knew that I would be able to share in his family’s joy when I returned to Haiti and was able to visit them and see their recovering son!

Upon my return, I made plans to visit the family with my translator.   It was then that the sad realities began to be revealed to me.  The mother and father had been fighting bitterly.  The mother (who is pregnant with another child) had kicked the father out of the house.  The mother had rented a home where she lived with the baby and her two other children from a previous relationship.  She refused to let the father see the baby that he adored so much.  When I arrived, I was told that the mother did not want the baby.  The baby’s environment was dirty.  He was not being exercised as required following his surgery.  He was not being properly fed.  The father would have taken the baby in a heartbeat, but he had no home and no one to care for the baby. 

The father arrived at the home to greet me.  He remained outside with tears streaming down his face.  The mother did not want him to enter the house.  I explained to the mother the importance of the baby receiving love from both the mother AND the father.  I swooped the baby up in my arms and brought him to his father who wept over him and cradled him in his arms.

Eventually the family gathered on the porch of the home and I talked with them about the miracle of their child’s survival.  I talked about him being a gift from God and that it was their responsibilities as parents to take care of the child that God had blessed them with.  I prayed with the family and left the home with a heavy heart.

Over a period of several days, I talked with the parents about the future of the baby.  It was decided that the baby would be removed from the home and placed in temporary care until an orphanage could be found for him or until he could return to the states for follow-up therapy, which will only be possible if he can be granted another medical visa.   The mother consistently stated that she did not want the child.  The father continued to express his love, but was adamant about his inability to care for him. 

During these conversations, the father said something very profound, especially if you have an understanding of Haitian culture.  The father stated that he is a father to his son, but more importantly his son has been a father to him.  He said this because it is because of his son that the father now has an identity.  Prior to his son’s need for treatment in the states, the father had no birth certificate and no identification card.  He had to get those documents in order for his son to obtain a passport.  Many peasants here are people with no identity.  This son gave his father “papers” to show that “he is somebody!”  Culturally speaking, this was a HUGE gift from a son to his father.  The father stated that he will never forget what his son did for him!

Isn’t it ironic, that as Christians, Jesus in essence did the same thing for us!  Because of His love for us, He made US SOMEBODY!  He gives us our identity!  The sad difference is that this father cannot continue to care for his son, unlike God who is able to continually supply all of our needs.  I pray that one day, this father and mother will know in their hearts that God not only cares for their son, but that He also intimately cares for them!

NOTE:  Check out new photos in the “House of the Lambs of God” Orphanage Kids Album!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 months old.  Her mother had abandoned the family, leaving her father to care for her.  Since he had no one to watch the baby, he could not go to work, thus he had no income with which to feed Cassandra.  She came to us very malnourished!  She will be on a special diet for a long time to help her re-gain the nutrition she was so desperately lacking.  Four year old Peter was the last to arrive.  His mother has died and he was living with a maternal aunt who could no longer care for him.  Although Peter has a father, he was not an active part of Peter’s life.  We welcome these little ones into the fold!  Please pray that they will soon feel loved and a part of our family.  The early transition times are very difficult for these children.  We rejoice that they will learn about the love of Jesus in their new home!  They will learn that He is a loving Father who will never abandon them!  (To view photos of our newest children …  pull up the Children of Israel Orphanage photo album)

Léon and I arrived home to find that our dog Wilips had died from rabies.  We were saddened to learn that, when she became ill, our dog killed two other animals and bit one of the orphanage workers.  We are thankful that the expensive rabies shots were available in Haiti for this worker.  She must endure a series of five shots!  Please also keep her in your prayers.

Tropical Storm Noel also took its toll!   In addition to destroyed homes, lives lost, and epidemics of malaria, typhoid, and pink eye, our goat herd on Ile-a-Vache also sustained losses.  2 female goats and 5 of 6 newborn goats died during the storm.  Constant rain for almost 30 days, left the pasture land flooded, resulting in no grass for grazing.  Parasites infected the herd.  We are thankful that 10 of the goats were survivors!

Whatever disaster we face, we are happy to know that through it all God is with us!  He knows our sufferings and our needs.  He supplies us with people to uphold us in prayer.

Being back in Haiti, gave Léon and I time to reflect back on his first trip to the United States.  One thing that left a big impression was the orderliness of our traffic flow.  Interestingly enough, the other thing that stood out most was the fact that American families are too busy, too busy for even their own families.  Wow!  That message came through loud and clear and very quickly.  Is it true that the American family has become numb to their lack of time for their spouses and children???  What a sad fact that is!

It was a joy for Léon and me to spend time with my family.  Léon was concerned if our two little grandsons would be afraid of his dark skin.  But children have a way of seeing right past that!  Within minutes, the oldest was handing him a truck to play with and kissing him right on the mouth!  So much for that worry!   Léon was able to finally meet my father, my four brothers and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews.  He was able to tour workplaces with a couple of my brothers and see the sights of modern technology that is non-existent in Haiti.  Léon even was able to visit with two of the girls who were originally from the orphanage and are now settled into life with their new families in the states.  It was a long awaited trip.  Finally, I had proof that my husband really did exist, after the long process of trying to get him to the states!!!

Léon has also shared with me the many aspects of his 10 week time of study at SIFAT (Servants in Faith & Technology).   I was able to get a small glimpse into his experience when I visited the campus in Lineville, Alabama for the last few days of the session and for the graduation of students from over 20 countries.  What an awesome ministry this is!  The goal is to bring together students from third world countries and in 10 weeks teach them at least 10 different ways that they can go back and help people in their country by applying their newly acquired skills and teaching other people to teach these same skills.  So much more can be accomplished in a short amount of time versus sending one missionary to one country to teach one skill.  The session taught water purification methods, alternative cooking methods, how to deliver a baby, HIV education techniques, how to make compost with worms, how to make (yes, make!) eyeglasses and test people for the correct prescription, how to construct various water pump systems and a myriad of other vital skills.  You can learn more about this program by visiting www.sifat.org.  Their campus also offers young students in the United States an opportunity to spend time during the summer “seeing the world in one week.”  A global village is constructed on the campus, where you can see “working models” of homes in countries like Uganda, the Philippines and others.  I would highly recommend either course of study to anyone interested!   Scholarships provided by area churches make the cost of tuition affordable to anyone!

While Léon was busy studying, I was busy globetrotting!   It was my privilege to visit people in Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Wyoming to speak about the ministry work in Haiti.  Everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms.  Old friends and new friends alike welcomed me into their homes, gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, scheduled speaking engagements and other activities for me and transported me from here to there.  There were those who even found time to help me celebrate my birthday while I was apart from my family!   I was touched by the interest of so many from the primary school student who couldn’t wait to ask me after class time, “Where do you send donations to help the children?” to the elderly lady on a fixed income sending me a huge grocery bag full of jars of peanut butter and bags of beans and rice for me to bring back to Haiti to help feed the hungry people.  Wherever I went, people were touched by the needs in Haiti and I was touched by the generous spirits of those who took the time to listen to what I had to say!   God is alive and well in the hearts of so many people!  Together, He can use us to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 months old.  Her mother had abandoned the family, leaving her father to care for her.  Since he had no one to watch the baby, he could not go to work, thus he had no income with which to feed Cassandra.  She came to us very malnourished!  She will be on a special diet for a long time to help her re-gain the nutrition she was so desperately lacking.  Four year old Peter was the last to arrive.  His mother has died and he was living with a maternal aunt who could no longer care for him.  Although Peter has a father, he was not an active part of Peter’s life.  We welcome these little ones into the fold!  Please pray that they will soon feel loved and a part of our family.  The early transition times are very difficult for these children.  We rejoice that they will learn about the love of Jesus in their new home!  They will learn that He is a loving Father who will never abandon them!  (To view photos of our newest children …  pull up the Children of Israel Orphanage photo album)

Léon and I arrived home to find that our dog Wilips had died from rabies.  We were saddened to learn that, when she became ill, our dog killed two other animals and bit one of the orphanage workers.  We are thankful that the expensive rabies shots were available in Haiti for this worker.  She must endure a series of five shots!  Please also keep her in your prayers.

Tropical Storm Noel also took its toll!   In addition to destroyed homes, lives lost, and epidemics of malaria, typhoid, and pink eye, our goat herd on Ile-a-Vache also sustained losses.  2 female goats and 5 of 6 newborn goats died during the storm.  Constant rain for almost 30 days, left the pasture land flooded, resulting in no grass for grazing.  Parasites infected the herd.  We are thankful that 10 of the goats were survivors!

Whatever disaster we face, we are happy to know that through it all God is with us!  He knows our sufferings and our needs.  He supplies us with people to uphold us in prayer.

Being back in Haiti, gave Léon and I time to reflect back on his first trip to the United States.  One thing that left a big impression was the orderliness of our traffic flow.  Interestingly enough, the other thing that stood out most was the fact that American families are too busy, too busy for even their own families.  Wow!  That message came through loud and clear and very quickly.  Is it true that the American family has become numb to their lack of time for their spouses and children???  What a sad fact that is!

It was a joy for Léon and me to spend time with my family.  Léon was concerned if our two little grandsons would be afraid of his dark skin.  But children have a way of seeing right past that!  Within minutes, the oldest was handing him a truck to play with and kissing him right on the mouth!  So much for that worry!   Léon was able to finally meet my father, my four brothers and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews.  He was able to tour workplaces with a couple of my brothers and see the sights of modern technology that is non-existent in Haiti.  Léon even was able to visit with two of the girls who were originally from the orphanage and are now settled into life with their new families in the states.  It was a long awaited trip.  Finally, I had proof that my husband really did exist, after the long process of trying to get him to the states!!!

Léon has also shared with me the many aspects of his 10 week time of study at SIFAT (Servants in Faith & Technology).   I was able to get a small glimpse into his experience when I visited the campus in Lineville, Alabama for the last few days of the session and for the graduation of students from over 20 countries.  What an awesome ministry this is!  The goal is to bring together students from third world countries and in 10 weeks teach them at least 10 different ways that they can go back and help people in their country by applying their newly acquired skills and teaching other people to teach these same skills.  So much more can be accomplished in a short amount of time versus sending one missionary to one country to teach one skill.  The session taught water purification methods, alternative cooking methods, how to deliver a baby, HIV education techniques, how to make compost with worms, how to make (yes, make!) eyeglasses and test people for the correct prescription, how to construct various water pump systems and a myriad of other vital skills.  You can learn more about this program by visiting www.sifat.org.  Their campus also offers young students in the United States an opportunity to spend time during the summer “seeing the world in one week.”  A global village is constructed on the campus, where you can see “working models” of homes in countries like Uganda, the Philippines and others.  I would highly recommend either course of study to anyone interested!   Scholarships provided by area churches make the cost of tuition affordable to anyone!

While Léon was busy studying, I was busy globetrotting!   It was my privilege to visit people in Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Wyoming to speak about the ministry work in Haiti.  Everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms.  Old friends and new friends alike welcomed me into their homes, gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, scheduled speaking engagements and other activities for me and transported me from here to there.  There were those who even found time to help me celebrate my birthday while I was apart from my family!   I was touched by the interest of so many from the primary school student who couldn’t wait to ask me after class time, “Where do you send donations to help the children?” to the elderly lady on a fixed income sending me a huge grocery bag full of jars of peanut butter and bags of beans and rice for me to bring back to Haiti to help feed the hungry people.  Wherever I went, people were touched by the needs in Haiti and I was touched by the generous spirits of those who took the time to listen to what I had to say!   God is alive and well in the hearts of so many people!  Together, He can use us to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 m