Today I saw this picture and I journeyed back in time
When I
left my flip flops at the front door of granddad’s house
and walked down the path on the rocks
to my neighbor’s, I mean, my cousin’s house
to make mud-pies decorated with those same rocks
those rocks used to torture my feet
when I walked on those rocks with no shoes
Had to wash those dirty feet and body in a wash tub
Washtub filled with the water I had boiled on the stove
mixed with cold water that I’d pumped from the well
Always fresh water in grandma’s well in the front yard
The front yard where grandma’s chickens used to roam sometimes
I’d run from those chickens everyday, those chickens were fierce
but those same chickens laid the eggs we ate for breakfast
those eggs came from grandma’s chicken coop
You know that coop? The one we played hide and seek behind
That rickety old coop next to granddaddy’s dog pen
That old dog pen used to cage those hunting dogs that barked all night
Man, I hated going to the outhouse at night
Cause at night you had to carry granddaddy’s 10lb heavy duty flashlight
That flashlight attracted the biggest lightening bugs
Those same bugs that my cousin used to catch
Caught them and put them in a preserve jar
The jars that used to hold grandma’s apples that she canned
Umm, umm, grandma’s fried apples were the best right before school...
Whew, elementary school! Belfield School where the kids used to mock me
Mock me for being different, looking different, and sounding different
Sounding “too city” or as they would put it. They used to tease me and say,
“You tawlk funny!”
I talked too city to be country, too country to be city (back then)
They said, “Young, city folk can’t walk on rocks with no shoes
Can’t make rocks skip on the pond”
Do you remember that pond?
The one we used to cross down the path to get to the bus?
The bus that used to pick us up from the mailboxes we used to sit on
You remember those mailboxes? The ones that didn’t have addresses but
route numbers. “Route number...” those two words ring loud in my spirit. “Route” the path that led me to Haiti last year. “Number” the amount of times I think back on how many baths I took in wash tubs. “Number”, the amount of times I think about how Haitians will have to take many more baths in washtubs....in buckets...in dirty streams...and in polluted rivers. Lord, change the route, change the path, and change the destiny to something far better for Haiti.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Staying Blessed
Be blessed in the basic awareness of knowing you do not know the answers,
In this humbleness is strength guiding all toward their own true nature,
Not the weakness of complicated cleverness that disguises the ego as the master,
Be willing to blend peacefully into common-place cycles of life with sensible precaution of the silent destiny always at work, regardless of your particular opinion,
There lies comforting understanding,within faithful surrender to the unknown,invisible, inevitable presence, that a clearer pattern exists,
Containing the joy of simply being amidst the unforced process of the Tao.
Gordon Neumann10/8/2007
Posted:10/09
In this humbleness is strength guiding all toward their own true nature,
Not the weakness of complicated cleverness that disguises the ego as the master,
Be willing to blend peacefully into common-place cycles of life with sensible precaution of the silent destiny always at work, regardless of your particular opinion,
There lies comforting understanding,within faithful surrender to the unknown,invisible, inevitable presence, that a clearer pattern exists,
Containing the joy of simply being amidst the unforced process of the Tao.
Gordon Neumann10/8/2007
Posted:10/09
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Letter from the field (Haiti School)
I'm sharing this letter with you in order to bring awareness to my friends and family about the great things that God is and wanting to do through your partnership in Haiti.
The children are the future and hope of Haiti. My friend Dottie owns a primary school in Haiti and is used to be a blessing to the hopeless and helpless in that land. Help me to help her bring transformational change to that land.
In God's Blessing,
Shariva
TLC News November, 2009
(Haitian School)
Titus 2:6 ……….encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned……………………...
School Opening for 2009-2010
Once again our mighty Lord and Savior, having moved the hearts of all of you, has made it possible to open the TLC Barefoot School for another year. We selected 12 new pre-k children to begin the year, bringing our total to ninety-two students. We did have another three students that graduated from TLC and are now attending College Concordia in Petionville. Even though it is titled “college,” it is high school for our students. For any of you that continue to support these seven students, we are deeply grateful and so are they. They are the top students in this Haitian school, and that is over three hundred students. We are very proud of them and thankful for the guidance given by the Holy Spirit and to God be the Glory!
Once again our mighty Lord and Savior, having moved the hearts of all of you, has made it possible to open the TLC Barefoot School for another year. We selected 12 new pre-k children to begin the year, bringing our total to ninety-two students. We did have another three students that graduated from TLC and are now attending College Concordia in Petionville. Even though it is titled “college,” it is high school for our students. For any of you that continue to support these seven students, we are deeply grateful and so are they. They are the top students in this Haitian school, and that is over three hundred students. We are very proud of them and thankful for the guidance given by the Holy Spirit and to God be the Glory!
New Teachers
Miss Hainesa, our first grade teacher this year, comes to us with three years of teaching experience in the Haitian Schools. She was relieved to know she has only six students for her first year. Our curriculum for first grade requires the children to learn more about “reading,” for the first two quarters, and then into the other subjects. All of our new teachers are hired on a thirty day trial basis. Mr. Jereme couldn’t quite get the grasp of the English method and is now an assistant. Not pictured, is Mr. Gino, who took Mr. Jerome’s place in Social Studies. Mr. Menold is teaching Spelling, and Mr. Josue is teaching Science. We are also very pleased to have Mr. Junior Luma back with us teaching Math. We feel very blessed to have these teachers who enjoy teaching and seem to love the Lord as well. As some of you may know we rely totally upon the Lord to move the hearts of His people to meet the wages for these teachers every year.
Christmas
Every year we have a Christmas party here at the school. We not only provide every child with a gift bag, but we also have a special treat for the Christmas meal, like turkey or something similar, along with chocolate treats, ice cream and of course cake. We allow the children to choose their preference each year. Sometimes this requires a vote for the majority, be it pizzas, hamburgers, or beans and rice with chicken or turkey. We once again ask for your help in making this special time of giving possible. We ask that each sponsor send $15.00 to $25.00 US for their child, as soon as possible, we have already begun to do our Christmas shopping. We purchase gifts according to grade level. Example: if your child is only in pre-k through 3rd grade the cost is a great deal less, but as they get older the gifts are more difficult to find and more expensive. The gift bags will include one outfit, sandals, maybe shoes, underwear, socks, toothbrush, assorted small gifts, and a game or toy. We put every effort into making all the bags as equal as possible. Please, you are more than welcome to send along a Christmas card to the Florida address to accompany your child’s gift bag. We thank you in advance for bringing a big smile to the face of one of God’s less fortunate. We will send photo’s to everyone after the celebration.
Every year we have a Christmas party here at the school. We not only provide every child with a gift bag, but we also have a special treat for the Christmas meal, like turkey or something similar, along with chocolate treats, ice cream and of course cake. We allow the children to choose their preference each year. Sometimes this requires a vote for the majority, be it pizzas, hamburgers, or beans and rice with chicken or turkey. We once again ask for your help in making this special time of giving possible. We ask that each sponsor send $15.00 to $25.00 US for their child, as soon as possible, we have already begun to do our Christmas shopping. We purchase gifts according to grade level. Example: if your child is only in pre-k through 3rd grade the cost is a great deal less, but as they get older the gifts are more difficult to find and more expensive. The gift bags will include one outfit, sandals, maybe shoes, underwear, socks, toothbrush, assorted small gifts, and a game or toy. We put every effort into making all the bags as equal as possible. Please, you are more than welcome to send along a Christmas card to the Florida address to accompany your child’s gift bag. We thank you in advance for bringing a big smile to the face of one of God’s less fortunate. We will send photo’s to everyone after the celebration.
School Principal: Mr. Nickson
Some of you have been fortunate to visit us here in Haiti, you therefore know our school principal, Mr. Nickson. He is the one that never seems to stop smiling. Of course he will have an extra special reason for lots of extra smiles and probably a few tears of joy when the Lord blesses he and his wife, Sophie, with a new baby girl this coming February. We ask for your prayers of the Almighty’s protection on this new life and the family. Mr. Nickson continues to be a great asset for the TLC Barefoot School. He loves the Lord and has many
creative ideas and a very encouraging young mind constantly praying and thinking of ways to better improve the school or to help the children. Along with guiding the teachers, correcting the students, handling the discipline problems that may arise, he is also gifted in playing the guitar and leads our morning praise and worship time every morning. Mr. Nickson is also responsible for our monthly expenses to be recorded and then reported to me and I report these expenses to our TLC Board treasurer and our Director in the states. It is not and easy job, one that continually brings challenges every day here in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Please pray for all of us!
CONCLUSION
We are having a difficult time finding the Christmas gift bags. If everyone could send just two large Christmas gift bags in a manila envelope so it will not go into customs, we would be eternally grateful.
I have listed the addresses below for contributions or for correspondence with your sponsored child or TLC.
We are having a difficult time finding the Christmas gift bags. If everyone could send just two large Christmas gift bags in a manila envelope so it will not go into customs, we would be eternally grateful.
I have listed the addresses below for contributions or for correspondence with your sponsored child or TLC.
Correspondence:
Contributions, sponsorship fees:
TLC Barefoot School; make check to: TLC Barefoot School
3170 Airmans Dr. Send to: Mrs. Ginny Underhill
Unit # 2036-TLC 616 E. 8th St.
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946 Beloit, KS 67420
** TLC is a 501c3, tax-deductable organization.
TLC Barefoot School; make check to: TLC Barefoot School
3170 Airmans Dr. Send to: Mrs. Ginny Underhill
Unit # 2036-TLC 616 E. 8th St.
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946 Beloit, KS 67420
** TLC is a 501c3, tax-deductable organization.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Letter from the field (Haiti)
Pic taken @ Faith-Hope-Love Infant Rescue in October 2009.
Letter from Mrs. Dorothy who runs the Haiti Orphanage:
"Hi. I am Dorothy Pearce, Dottie's friend. I run Faith-Hope-Love Infant Rescue, the house where all the babies live. When you all visited my house I was at the hospital admitting a little boy with aids. The little boy, Myson, is back home. They started him on AIDS meds while in the hospital, a little earlier than they had plannned but he was getting so sick they had no choice. They had wanted to wait until he was 2 yrs old, in February 2010. Myson still isn't well. One thing improves and he gets another. We will do our best to give him as long and as good a life as possible.
Thanks for your very nice words. You all were a huge blessing! Thank you for your part in it. We will be very grateful for your continued support and will welcome follow up visits. I hope I can be here
Since you ask for information, I'll put you on my list for email updates and the mailing list for quarterly newsletters that are mailed out. I'll try to find you on Facebook, too. I post a lot of information there about the children here.
Thanks for writing. I look forward to corresponding with you. May God bless you! "
Dorothy Pearce
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." I Cor. 13:13
Faith-Hope-Love Infant Rescue
http://dorothypearcehaiti.blogspot.com/ <http://dorothypearcehaiti.blogspot.com/>
Donations:
Christian Light Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 23881
Jacksonville FL 32241-3881
Memo: For D. Pearce, Haiti
Not only hungry for physical food BUT spiritual food also!
Leviticus 19:9-10
On leaving crops in the field for the poor and the sojourner.
Proverbs 19:17
What you give to the poor is a loan to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy
neighbor.
Job 38:41
Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young cry to God,
and wander about for lack of food?
Psalm 41:1-3
God sustains and protects those who give to the poor.
Psalm 146:5-8
Happy are those who give food to the poor.
Isaiah 58:5-10
Pour yourselves out for the hungry.
Amos 5:21-24
Let justice roll down like waters.
Micah 6:6-8
Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God.
Matthew 25:31-46
"I was hungry and you fed me"
Mark 6:30-34
Jesus feeds the multitudes.
Luke 3:11
If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan
Luke 14:12-14
Invite the poor to your dinner.
Luke 16:19-31
The rich man and Lazarus
James 2:14-26
Show your faith by your good works
On leaving crops in the field for the poor and the sojourner.
Proverbs 19:17
What you give to the poor is a loan to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy
neighbor.
Job 38:41
Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young cry to God,
and wander about for lack of food?
Psalm 41:1-3
God sustains and protects those who give to the poor.
Psalm 146:5-8
Happy are those who give food to the poor.
Isaiah 58:5-10
Pour yourselves out for the hungry.
Amos 5:21-24
Let justice roll down like waters.
Micah 6:6-8
Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God.
Matthew 25:31-46
"I was hungry and you fed me"
Mark 6:30-34
Jesus feeds the multitudes.
Luke 3:11
If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan
Luke 14:12-14
Invite the poor to your dinner.
Luke 16:19-31
The rich man and Lazarus
James 2:14-26
Show your faith by your good works
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