Maranatha Orphanage and School Budget for New Dorms and Playground

LFTW Building Project Budget

Sponsor Michael Fedele in Chicago Marathon For Haiti Kids

Dear Friend of Maranatha Orphanage and School in Haiti,

My name is Sean Schuster. I am the new part time Marketing Director for Life For The World and Maranatha Orphanage and School in Haiti, founded by Michael Fedele. I have also been a distance runner for 35 years and I am a high school track and cross country coach at Hammond Gavit High School in Hammond, Indiana. This past summer as well as in our current cross country season, Michael Fedele trained with our high school runners. He has been both an inspiration and a running partner for the kids. As a result of this the team has had great success, culminating in winning yesterday’s Great Lakes Athletic Conference Championship in Northwest Indiana. There is no doubt in my mind that without Mike’s assistance, this championship would not have been possible. This coming Sunday, our team is volunteering at the 12 mile water stop at the Chicago Marathon. The boys and girls are very excited to know that Mike will be one of the competitors in the Marathon. They are well aware of his goal of breaking the 3 hour barrier Sunday. That is an amazing feat for anyone. The fact that Mike is making this attempt at age 49 is astounding. But what is flabbergasting is that Mike is making this effort after suffering a heart attack on May 27, 2009, now with three stents in his right coronary artery, as well as being diagnosed with diabetes in July 2010! Mike wants to inspire others to achieve their life goals as well. One of his desires is to give those less fortunate than him an opportunity to lead a better life. In 2002, Mike Fedele read a book about the conditions in Haiti and decided he had to see this for himself. Gathering his things together, Mike journeyed solo to Haiti where he spent 40 days. What he saw forever changed his life. After seeing first-hand nameless, naked children begging for food, and speaking with the locals, Mike made the decision to help those that he could. Gathering the children he had gotten to know, Mike began providing them with food and shelter from his own income. What began out of impulse quickly grew as Mike bought property and began the Maranatha Orphanage and Primary School in Source Matelas, Haiti. What began with 8 children has grown to 170 children today who are clothed, fed, and educated at the Orphanage with a full Haitian staff. Maranatha Orphanage and School is now supported through many donors and sponsors through Life For The World, and there are many people who have become supporters of this wonderful mission and cause. Today, Mike and many others from the United States visit frequently to the spend time with the kids at the orphanage and school and to assist the poor in many villages. There is a full time Haitian staff at Maranatha Orphanage and School running the day-to-day operations. We at Life For The World continue to strive to improve upon the school and orphanage. But this is not an easy task. Monthly operating costs are exorbitant to run the orphanage and school. You can make an effort to help. I am asking you to consider donating one dollar for each of the 26.2 miles Mike is running. As an added incentive, if Mike achieves his goal of breaking the 3 hour barrier, you may decide to double your donation or sponsor a child for $30 per month. This Sunday, please follow Mike’s progress by tracking him on your phone, mobile device or via the Web. See below for directions on how to trace Mike’s progress during the marathon.

Register via your Mobile Phone

From 10/07/2011 throughout Race Day on 10/09/2011, spectators, family members, and friends will be allowed to register to track Mike direct from their phone. Text messages will be sent as Mike crosses the 10K, HALF, 30K, and Finish. In order to register, TEXT 9357 to 99731 (fyi 9357 is Mike’s bib #) on your mobile device. Once you send the text message request, you will receive a message asking you to confirm, please reply YES to complete your registration.

Register via the Web
We can deliver SMS text alerts direct to your mobile device as Mike crosses the 10K, HALF, 30K and Finish..

Web registration for SMS alerts will start 10/07/2011 through 10/08/2011 at 11pm CST. After web registration closes, you will only be able to register directly on your phone by texting Mike’s BIB#9357 to 99731 (i.e.9357 to 99731 where 9357 is the bib#).
To register to follow Mike via the Web exit out of this e-mail and go to : https://tadpole.textingforward.com/portal/tf_marathon_input_dt?pvRaceId=1081

As a supporter of Life For The World, I am asking you to go the extra 26.2 miles just like Mike is! Anything you can do will be greatly appreciated by our kids in Haiti and Life For The World. All you need to do is go to http://lifefortheworld.com/give.html to make a donation. You can also sponsor a child in Maranatha Orphanage and School who needs a sponsor for $30 a month at http://lifefortheworld.com/sponsor.html.

Please rise to the challenge just like Mike is doing this Sunday.

If you need assistance signing up on your phone before the marathon for tracking Mike’s Progress, please call me at 219-221-5953.

Sincerely,

Sean Schuster
Marketing Director
Life For The World, Inc.
Cell: 219-221-5953

New Maranatha Monthly Sponsors for June, 2011

Dear Friends of Life For The World -

We wish to thank our 8 new June, 2011 monthly sponsors from our hearts for supporting our children at Maranatha Orphanage and School in Source Matelas, Haiti.

Sponsorship of our children is extremely important for the sustaining of our children lives and their well being. With your sponsorship we are able to bring life to these kids!

And we wish to also thank our continuing sponsors for their outstanding love and support.
With YOU our children have LIFE, EDUCATION, FRIENDSHIP, LOVE and continuing HOPE for a better life.
You are making a BIG DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY and YOU worthy of GREAT HONOR for all that you do four our 160+ children at Maranatha!

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present” – Albert Camus

New Sponsors for June 2011

Sponsor: Maranatha Child

Brian & Monica Susoreny Nelly Mathurin
Erin Snyder Jemina Bonhomme
Erin Snyder Fredy Francois
Miyoshi Vital Sherlens Saint Louis
Timothy Kudzman Rosberline Jules Fils
Phillip Weiss Nicolas Kizin’s Clack
Julie Adams Watson Thomas
Rick and Lynda Jones Princesse Morancy
Donald & Roberta Nicksic Hernande Cesar
Proslyn
Sincerely,
The Children of Maranatha and
The Board of Life For The World
www.lifefortheworld.com

YOU keep Their HOPE alive!

Dear Friends of LFTW:

Gorman Christian Academy donated money to feed a village and these are our 4 videos of that food distribution that we recently did in Afric, Haiti. We are committed to supporting the 168 children at Maranatha Orphanage and School. But we are

also committed to being liberal and generous to the poor in Haiti who are hungry. Feeding them not only keeps our friends in many villages alive, but it also keeps their hope alive for better things to come because they know we have not forgotten them. Below are the videos of this food distribution broken into four parts. The last one is very INTENSE and gives you an idea of the desperation of hungry people. These people are our friends….we have been feeding them for many years as we are able.

YOU are the reason their hope is still alive! Thank you…thank you…thank you for your love and commitment to the poor of Haiti.

…And as you give it will be returned to you in ways you can’t imagine…..Continue to remember the POOR

FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN AFRIC, HAITI:

Video #1: Introduction by Mike Fedele thanking Gorman Christian Academy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_mKnBwfP4E

Video #2: Starting Food Distribution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4brZ66tEqR4

Video #3: People Gathering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltpgRE4ltKA

Video #4: INTENSE Desperation for Food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F6-9p_B7uU

Sincerely,

The Board of Life For The World, Inc.

Julia Fedele’s Diary of Haiti May, 2011

First Visit to Haiti: May 19th – May 24th , 2011

“I can’t believe I waited so long to go to Haiti! My heart is so full of all the amazing, beautiful people I met. The children at Maranatha warmed up to me so quickly. I wish I could see them all again today! They are full of smiles, laughter, curiosity and energy and loved any attention we gave them!
True, the country is rough physically with rubble, rocks, and trash everywhere but love, patience, and beauty surprised me in the faces of the kind Haitians who were so happy to see us and grateful for our friendship and help.

We spent most of our time at the orphanage and visiting the poor. I was amazed at how we were welcomed so many places because of the many friends Mike has made through his love for and generosity to the poor.

Why did I finally make a trip to Haiti? The encouragement of a good friend and a Bible passage Pastor Scott shared in a recent sermon set the trip in motion. After hearing Galatians 6, I read the passage for myself and my mind kept coming back to verses 2 and 6.

Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Reflecting on these verses brought me to a point of decision. With Mike’s involvement in ministry to the poor in Haiti over the past ten years, I had long stood before an open door of opportunity but fears, contentment with my comfortable life, and a cold heart kept me from stepping out and obeying this Scripture. One evening early in May, I sat at the computer and purchased a ticket to Port au Prince, Haiti to coincide with Mike’s next trip which was just three weeks away. I knew that if I didn’t go now, I might miss the opportunity.

I’m not sure how much good I accomplished during one short visit, but I understand the burdens that my Haitian friends daily carry as I never could before: the poverty, trash, rubble, dirty water, hunger, unemployment, sickness, abandonment, danger, open sewage, no hope for a future…. However, these are not the things I carried home in my heart. I returned with the joyful memories of excited children surrounding me, grateful eyes, kind friends making my stay as comfortable as possible, and beautiful voices singing. What follows is a journal of the five days I spent in Haiti. Thank you, friends and family, for your interest, support and prayers. I invite you to take a moment to visit Haiti with me through my daily journal.

May 19th Maurice’s familiar face and warm greeting in the airport parking lot made me feel at ease in this country so different than my own. I was touched by his obvious pleasure at my visit. The drive to the LFTW guest house was shorter than I had expected. No explanation could have prepared me for the rough, rocky, reckless roads of Haiti or the trash that is piled up almost everywhere you can see. People mingled with cars, trucks and bikes with the fastest and biggest getting the right of way. Horns were a necessity to alert other drivers, pedestrians, and animals to move out of the way. I don’t recall seeing any stop lights or stop signs. Aggressive driving was the only way to move forward!

Pulling up to a gate, Maurice honked the horn and the gate was quickly rolled aside to allow us to drive into the courtyard. The girls affectionately greeted me, also pleased that I had finally come. I didn’t respond quickly to being addressed as “bleau” or “madam” so I’m afraid I appeared inattentive at times. We spent Friday evening getting acquainted and enjoying the good food prepared by Saulange. I’m sure it was a disappointment to them to find that I could not speak Creole like Mike. We took a quick trip to the neighborhood grocery store, one of the few places with air conditioning. Mike let the girls pick out a favorite drink from the cooler. I noticed that Wideline was careful to choose for Simon – eggnog. I was happy with a big bunch of locally grown bananas (to be my breakfast for the week) and plenty of good bottled water.

May 20th The days are long in Haiti. The sun is up before I am and with electricity in the guesthouse, activity continues into the evening. The girls were eager to see me in the morning. Behanda’s eyes lit up when Mike asked her in Creole if she wanted to make a bead bracelet with me. Saulange brought a chair to our table and was quick to pick up the pattern using the hemp cord and beads I had brought. Behanda was creative and made rings using the smaller glass beads and elastic cord. Wideline joined us creating her own necklace pattern and adding a metal cross from another piece of jewelry. When I left to visit the orphanage, she was still working on this project. Later in the evening, she showed me a matching bracelet she had made. I asked her to show me her finished necklace and she pointed to Simon. I could see that she had given her handiwork to Simon. She is a very caring young lady. Her English is very limited, but that does not discourage her from taking me by the hand, grabbing a chair and just sitting by me communicating in her friendly way with smiling eyes and quick hands. Esdras, Behanda’s brother, surprised me by making a bracelet Haitian style with my name woven into it. I was pleased to see how the bracelets that have come home to us from Haiti are made. The young people are clever with their fingers and creative!
By early afternoon, we were finally on our way to Maranatha. The school is conveniently located just off the main road. It was a dream come true to see the children whose faces I have poured over for close to 10 years. Maurice and his wife were there to welcome us. School had just let out for the day, so children were leaving as we arrived. Maurice was also preparing to leave for his university class in Port au Prince. The children were very friendly. I was impressed by Nathalie who joined the older women cooking for the children. The younger boys were helpful too. They were quick to take charge of the kid goats we had in the back of the SUV. I was happy to see them running from the storage area to the kitchen with canned goods for the cooks. They all gathered in the boys’ house to eat a meal as we were leaving. I found it hard to believe that 18 boys sleep in the two rooms with tall Babytchand sleeping in a child’s bunk. The girl’s house is not so crowed but was stifling hot. The older children at the orphanage need extra support to pay for their attendance at a local secondary school. Maranatha is still their home, but they have outgrown the school. Babytchand, Stanley, and Steevenson, our high school students, looked sharp walking home in their neat uniforms! Stanley’s English was impressive!

May 21 We loaded the SUV with water bottles and cameras and drove to the orphanage to attend the Saturday prayer meeting. I was especially glad to see our children from the orphanage participating in the worship time. They took turns at the bongo drums and passed around other homemade instruments. A most precious moment was when Francsesca, sitting two rows in front of me, turned around, reached out her hand and took mine. She has a beautiful smile and words weren’t necessary to express her welcome. The meeting began with singing and was interspersed with prayer and preaching. They gave me the best gift I could have asked for – their prayers as they gathered around me. It was the second time I had been blessed by prayer. Kneeling by my bed that morning, Martine prayed for me and then I for her. Neither of us could understand the other’s prayer but our Father and Creator of all languages understood! After the meeting, a mother of ten children approached me asking for help. I directed her to Mike and she pled with him to help her. He told the whole group that they must pray that he would not have to pay the customs tax on our recently shipped vehicle so that there would be more money for the poor. Other women with children gathered around and it crushed Mike’s heart to not be able to help them. He sat on the ground with little Guerline fingering his hair as Claudens tried to better explain the situation to the desperate women.

After the service, we took Hernande Maurice to her house. An amazing network of rocky streets with piles of rubble and sloppy potholes make an obstacle course adventure out of any drive. I don’t see how a vehicle lasts even one year in Haiti! The Maurice house was repaired after the earthquake and enjoys shade from the native trees I have yet to learn to identify. Hernande has the convenience of running water, but the stove in the tiny kitchen sits unused. She dreams of having working appliances in a new kitchen. The courtyard behind the house is where the food preparation takes place over a fire. It is shared by the other relatives who live in dwellings nearby.

Back at the guest house Simon’s friend Phillip pulled out an English hymnbook and asked me which hymns I knew. It worked better when I suggested he pick a song he knew, and so together we sang Blessed Assurance, Near the Cross and I Surrender All. Phillip’s English is fair and he was kind to work at conversation with me. The language barrier makes communication tedious, so it is refreshing to have a conversation in English. I am so slow to learn the Creole words and phrases, even with very patient teachers! Having a way to enter the everyday world of the people around me really helps build a satisfying connection when words are few. For those inclined to fashion, doing manicures & pedicures and braiding hair is a fun thing to do together. Every day one of the girls gave me a different style of braid. It was especially appropriate in the hot climate! On my next trip I would like to spend more time working with the girls, learning to cook and do laundry Haitian style. Crafts also were a great way to spend time together as well as singing. The digital camera always gathered people. Whether at the house or the orphanage everyone wanted their picture taken. Saturday evening my camera got a workout after the wedding reception that was held at the LFTW guest house. The girls had spent two days preparing for the event and were excited to pose repeatedly for photographs.

May 22 Sunday was a full day of activity. We overloaded the SUV with rice, beans, a kid goat, chickens, watermelons and bananas. Not too far down the road we felt a wobble in a front wheel so we stopped to check it out. The vehicle was unloaded and we found a shady spot to wait while the wheel was removed and inspected. Thankfully nothing was wrong and we were soon on our way. Our first stop was at the home of a humble family and long time friend of Mike. They were delighted by our visit and the rice, beans, and watermelon we brought. They showed us the cooking pots Mike and given them on a different visit. The husband is a mason and works whenever he can. The wife has a table under a tarp where she sells a little food. Their hut is pieced together with cardboard and metal scraps and holds one piece of furniture, a bed. A baby was in her mother’s arms when we arrived and the two-year old was napping on a piece of cardboard on the ground inside the stifling shack. The oldest of the 5 children, Esther, smiled the whole time, so happy to see us. The older children dream of going to school… again there is that painful feeling of being able to do so little for them. And yet we also felt such peace and joy being with them because of their gratitude and patience in the midst of their problems.

As we neared the Maranatha, Mike turned on a street opposite the orphanage looking for the land we hope to purchase for the future building site. Unbelievably steep, rough paths eventually led us to our destination. My favorite moment was when I saw a little boy running to meet us and recognized him as little Wilby, sponsored by John Hoffmaster. Other children were quick to gather in this remote location. They are used to walking everywhere and where excited to be a part of the picture taking. Before we pulled away, one of the boys extended his hand towards me with a gift of three small dusky blue eggs with brown speckles. I tucked them into my shirt pocket and the kids at the orphanage later admired them.
On the way back to the orphanage we visited a woman whose husband left her with 5 children to go with another woman to the Dominican Republic. Mike listened to her story and gave her some rice, beans, and a watermelon. An unmarried twenty-one year old girl expecting her first child also listened gravely to Mike’s reprimand and was grateful to receive his help.
Back at Maranatha, Mike invited five of the boys from the orphanage (Stanley, Nicolas, Steevenson, Allen, and Enold) to join us on an excursion to deliver gifts from sponsors to students who lived nearby. They were proud to show the way, guiding us through the amazing network of winding paths that lace the hilly countryside. I couldn’t believe how far and rough the walk is for many of our students.
Our first stop was Francsesca’s house, a shelter put up by Samaritan’s Purse after the earthquake. We delivered a gift from her sponsor as well as a kid goat, rice, and bananas.
The boys also knew where Tomsley lived, and we gave him a birthday gift from his sponsor as well as a bag of rice. Tomsley is such a handsome boy with a respectful, confident demeanor. He is really blessed to have a devoted sponser family. I wish we could have stayed to see him try out his remote control car! Mike read and interpreted the greeting and message in the card and made sure Tomsley received the money gift. Sitting at the foot of tree in a neighbor’s yard was a little girl with a mental disability. She wasn’t able to speak well and relied on the kindness of neighbors for shelter, food, and clothes since her mother had died. For me, that was one of the most painful moments of the trip. This child was so needy, so defenseless.
Finding Christelle Dena’s house was very difficult. When we finally parked the vehicle and followed the boy we had picked up who said he knew the way, we had to climb a narrow path and crawl through a broken fence to access her little hut. And there, sitting on a concrete slab was a beautiful princess in clean, brightly colored clothes holding a naked six month old baby. We gave her a bag of rice, a chicken and a stainless steel bowl filled with bananas. As we were leaving, I was the last to climb bach through the fence. As I turned around for one last look, Christelle reached out, grabbed my hand, smiled and said “Bye, bye.”

Back at Maranatha, the kids were excited with the treat bags Vera had prepared for me to hand out filled with peanuts and dried fruit. Allen was quick to motion to the broken bits left in the bag in my hand – what I considered trash was precious to him!
The drive home was lengthened by a stop on the roadside to cool the car down. We really put it to the test with the hill climbing, extra weight, and overall extreme driving conditions. It was almost dark by the time we got home. Sylvia graciously washed the bird egg contents out of my shirt and Martine made my shoes the whitest they had been since I bought them!

May 23 Simon was our driver for this day. After stopping to purchase rice, beans, and oil we once again headed for the orphanage. Classes were in session when we arrived so we visited each room, greeting the children and taking pictures. The sixth grade class welcomed us with a beautiful worship song sung in clear English. After the tour, we took pictures of 20 students for our website’s sponsor page. I really liked meeting each child whose name I had typed out in large print for picture taking back in our office in Indiana! The confines of the present property were very obvious. During recess time with all the children in the courtyard, it was difficult to make space to jump rope. Sports equipment would not be difficult to obtain and would be a great addition to the program, but lack of space makes this a dream for now. Some of the classrooms are cramped, hot and have poor lighting. Despite the less than perfect conditions, the students work diligently. They are grateful for a hot meal, excellent teachers and caregivers.
While Mike walked to the houses of Ingrid and Berline to give them each a kid goat, a gift from their sponsor, I stayed at the orphanage and pulled out my case of colorful beads. It took so little to make them happy! Just elastic cord and beads! Guerline and Sabrina helped make this project a success. The kids were very creative in their choice of colors and patterns. I showed a few of the older boys how to make the knotted hemp cord and bead bracelets. They were quick to learn and surprised me with their neat work. Hernande stayed close by me intent on learning the knotted cord pattern. She kept trying even when we had to take out knots to make things come out right.

While working with the kids, I also met Colberi, a friend of Vera’s, and delivered a thank you gift to him from Vera for his help during her last visit. Just before we left for the day, Colberi reappeared with two pineapples – one for Vera and one for me. His kindness was all the more precious because he was giving out of his poverty.
When the last of the beads had been strung or tucked away in pockets, I sat outside the orphanage waiting for Mike to return. The kids gathered around talking and trading bracelets. Clotaire’s English is quite clear and he is a very friendly boy. An older boy named Carlos sat by me as we waited. He also spoke enough English to tell me that he didn’t have a mother and the bracelets he wore were given to him by his sister. I am still very sad that I had nothing to give to him when he asked for help. Claudens and Leone also need help. They have a vision for a boys club. They want to give Bible lessons and feed about twenty children and are looking for sponsors to support them with $200 a month. I respect the commitment they have to help those around them when they could be thinking only of themselves.
Our day was not finished yet. Simon drove us along a road that eventually ended in a very destitute area. I was again amazed at how we were welcomed here in “Little Afric” because of Mike’s long standing friendships. Mike first went to the hut of the matriarch and listened to her problems. Then he opened bags of rice and beans and gave her a generous portion. He then invited the rest of the people to take fill their pots, buckets, and sacks. Sabrina persistently stuck to her task at the video camera while I got clips of the food distribution on Mike’s cell phone. As we were driving away, Simon told of a family who took him aside to ask for help for a sick child. He freely gave them the $20.00 that Mike had just given to him. Would I share so freely if I had so little?

The busy days in Haiti were the best! And it was always good to come home to our friends at the guest house, dinner ready, shade, fans, and mosquito nets!

May 24 We said our goodbyes at 6am and were off for the airport with Simon driving. Seeing traffic backing up on the road ahead of us, Simon turned around to take the back roads. I’m glad he did! I got to see more of the Haiti. Precarious concrete buildings and ruins from the earthquake lined the roads. Children walking to school dressed in neat uniforms were in stark contrast to the trash, sludge filled gutters and sloshy potholed roads. Haitians walk so erectly with straight backs and heads held high. I held my breath as we passed a lady with a dozen or so flats of white eggs balanced on her head, tied with a string. At one point Simon made a left turn onto a wide barren road with walls and gates along the sides. “This is a very dangerous section of road” he informed us,” where kidnappings and robberies often occur.” He drove as fast as possible, slowing down only to navigate potholes and looking down the alleys and gated entrances. I was relieved when we were back on the main road with the airport just ahead. For such a small airport, the wait was a long one. I was surprised to find three security checkpoints but had no difficulty with any of my luggage. I was entertained in the airport by two groups of college students returning home from volunteer missions. One was a Samaritan’s Purse group who had helped with reconstruction of a church in Port au Prince. I was encouraged to see the many dwellings built by Samaritan’s Purse and the interest young people have in helping this broken country.

I was glad to find my seat in the plane and head back to my family and the comforts of home. But the faces of the children and their joy in the simple pleasure of our company bring my heart back to Haiti, and I’m sure I will return!

Now that I have been there I understand why Mike is drawn back to Haiti again and again and even dreams of living among the suffering yet courageous Haitian poor.
More than ever, I want to do what I can for them too!

Julia

List of New Sponsors May, 2011

To Friends of Life For The World, Inc -

We wish to thank our 21 new monthly sponsors below for supporting our children at Maranatha Orphanage and School in Source Matelas, Haiti.

And we wish to also thank our continuing sponsors for their outstanding love and support.

With YOU our children have LIFE, EDUCTION, FRIENDSHIP, LOVE and continuing HOPE for a better life.

You are worthy of GREAT HONOR for all that you do four our 168 children at Maranatha!

Maranatha
Orphanage and School, May, 2011

21 New Sponsors of Children:

Sponsor Child

Richard Brown Mike Blouneau Fils Jean
Fadi Halwani Shelda Bien Aime
Fadi Halwani Lamouse Stimphile
Fadi Halwani Leonard Jean
Daniel Hofstra Stephie Gamina Nelson
Raquel Jimenez Wanne Youdai Badio
Lucie Kersaint Shelda Bien Aime
Steve Mack Marchelle Bernard
Cortez McKay Guerline Romelus
Jaime Morris Luguenson Altidor
Jaime Morris Louis Cardinio Franklyn
Jaime Morris Loudemilla Orelien
Munster Junior Women’s Gp Nathalie Saintilus
Sean Page Rose Berline Beldor
Anna Rodriquez Djim Carrely Thalien
Rick & Lynda Jones Bencia Romelus
Johanna Jimenez Laurent Nathalie Saintilus
Raquel Jimenez Lamouse Stimphile
Marie Bernard Marie Widnie Jean Pierre
Patrick Duggan Wedjy Benjamin
Stacy Ly Sherlens Saint Louis

Sincerely,

The Board of Life For The World
www.lifefortheworld.com

Food to Daphni from Sponsor Debbie Roth

Hello Partners of Life For The World:

I recently returned from Haiti and want to thank you for all of your incredible support. We did tons of things which i will detail in my upcoming blog. In the meantime please go to your website under You Tube videos and see all of the new videos we are posting daily of our work and the mission you have helped us succeed in. Below is a sample video which shows me giving a bag of rice to Daphni, a girl at Maranatha Orphanage and School. Dahpni’s monthly supporter is Debbie Roth! We will be postng more videos of giving gifts from sponsors to children at Maranatha in the coming days and weeks. Thank you everyone for your incredible support. We have an awesome board and awesome supporters. Become one if you aren’t already!

You Tube video giving to Daphni from Debbie Roth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPTRLpcoQrk

Best Regards,

Michael S. Fedele
www.lifefortheworld.com

Speech about Haiti by High School boy who came to Haiti with LFTW

Literature Class Speech

Deyton Quick

Have you ever been lost? Have you ever been stuck outside in the heat or cold? Have you ever not had a home to live in? No food, no water, no family, no clothes? Well that’s what it’s like for many of the children in Haiti. That’s what it’s like for an orphan who is left on their own in a chaotic starving country. In this speech, I want to make you see things differently. I want to change your mindset and make you think differently about your life, and the things in it. I want you to be more aware of the things going on in other countries such as Haiti, and hopefully the Lord will put it upon our heart to find ways to help.

It is our responsibility as Christians to help out orphans in the world. It’s something that many Christians want to do, but don’t. Either they don’t trust the charitable organizations they hear of, or they feel it is to overwhelming and they don’t know where to begin. I don’t know, but if the bible says “Pure religion and undefiled before God the father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction”, then why aren’t more Christians striving to do that? After all, if God says it is pure religion, then isn’t that something we should focus on!

I am sure you all know that an orphan is a child left on his own because he has no mother or father to take care of him, but there are many reasons how he or she got that way. For instance, let’s imagine you are a young boy, the age of 6, and you live with your mother in a little hut made of mud. You have very little but your Mom works hard to give you one meager meal a day and a place to lay your head at night. This is all you know and it is enough for you to survive…barely. You are safe at least with her and your life depends on her, but one day, your mom gets very sick. She can no longer help you with anything: in fact she can’t even help herself. You have no food, no water and no one is there to help you or her and eventually she dies. The only person you ever really knew is gone and you are all alone with no hope. That’s how a huge portion of the children live in Haiti. That’s what a real orphan is.

Here in the states being an orphan is pretty bad, but you still have something to eat and a roof over your head. Remember the movie Annie? Well, most Haitians would think Annie had it made! However, most orphanages that are government controlled are not like that today. In fact an orphan in America is pretty well cared for. There are no government controlled orphanages in Haiti. It is very hard to find an orphanage in Haiti because they are few and far between. The orphanages that are there are filled up and they can’t take all the children in off the streets. They need money and help to make more orphanages. If you are an orphan in Haiti and you are in an orphanage you are very, very blessed, because most Haitians don’t even have basic necessities.

I was able to visit Haiti this past summer, and it was the most amazing experience ever! One of the things I noticed was all the little children running around by themselves. No one even seemed to notice them. Kids would play on the side of the road in garbage, kids sitting outside in the hot sun covered in dust, always hungry and thirsty. I even saw a young boy around the age of 10 who had to crawl around on the ground because his legs didn’t work right due to dehydration. This is common in Haiti. Can you imagine something like that here in the U.S?

During my trip, I went to one orphanage. The Maranantha school and orphanage in Source Matelas, Haiti. A small, rundown looking place with four or five little concrete buildings inside of a large a concrete wall (kind of like a big fence). It doesn’t seem like much to us, but this little place was home to over a hundred children. Many of which had with nowhere else to go, and no one else to turn to. The children who lived there were homeless before they were taken in. Some of them were very sick beforehand, and some were dying. They had to be nursed back to health. Not all of the children are orphans though, one little girl who lived there was the daughter of a woman who was brought in because she was found under a tree, all alone, in the rain, giving birth to her child.

When I was walking into the Orphanage, I couldn’t help but notice all these kids running around on the outside of the wall. They were all trying to get in. Some of them were clothed, and some were naked. They all wanted inside the orphanage because they knew how much better off they would be. They wanted food and water and all the things that those children had, on the other side of the wall! It was heartbreaking to see these children suffer. Why couldn’t the orphanage take them in too? I talked to the founder of the orphanage, (an American man named Mike) and asked him “How do you choose which kids to bring in, and which kids to leave out?” He said “It kills me that I can’t take everyone in, but I have to face the fact that I can’t help everyone, no matter how hard I try. All I can do is pray, and ask God to show me who to take in.”

I was touched by this and couldn’t help but think… if this one man is helping to save hundreds of lives, how many could a whole group or church save? I know there are lots of groups and churches that support needs in foreign countries, but do any of them really sacrifice their time, their lives, and their money for someone who needs it far more than they need it themselves? Do we really know what it means to “bear one another’s burdens”?

If Jesus was here on the earth right now, where do you think he would be? I don’t know exactly, but I’m pretty sure it would be somewhere helping the poor, the widowed, and the homeless. That’s what Jesus was all about! He loved children, and I’m pretty sure if there were children hurting and suffering here on this earth like these children are in Haiti, that Jesus would be helping them whole heartedly.

Most orphans there know they won’t ever get the help they need. They know they live in one of the worst places in the world and that they weren’t blessed with even the necessary things of this world like food and water. They know that they will probably die at a young age, that their life is horrible. So, what gets them by? Well….I believe it is faith. It’s amazing to see the faith of those who have nothing. It’s amazing to see how these children hold onto Jesus. Somehow they know that this life of pain and misery will end someday, and they will go be in heaven with their savior. They find joy in the name of Jesus, and find joy in worshiping him. They literally live because of this hope.

While I was in Haiti we visited some tent villages where thousands of people lived whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane. All these people had was a small little tent made out of a tarp, or less. Some had a few pots and pans, and a blanket…. that’s about it. How can they live like that? No food. No water. So I ask them, “How do you live like this? How are you able to physically stay alive with none of the necessities of life?” Every person I asked that would tell me, “Only God knows, he keeps me alive.” You see, they trust in God so much, that they even rely on him to feed them. Do you have that kind of faith? Would you leave your home and go into a desert with nothing at all and believe that God will provide for you? I know I wouldn’t!

You can learn so much from these people! We are the ones with everything…but we need to be more like them! We need to have the faith of these little children! These orphans trust in God for every need in their lives. If you give to a child like this in need, God will bless you in return! It’s not just giving your money or your time, it’s giving up something physical for something far better spiritually.

The whole time I was in Haiti I had the mindset that I was going to help people. I had it in my head that I could bless these people somehow, but the more I tried, the more I was given back and blessed in return! The Haitian people are so much more giving than I am. I have never seen anything like it. Any little thing they can do for you, they will. Why can’t we be more like that? Why can’t we help them out in any way we can? Well, I believe we can!

One of the main problems in this country right now is that it’s over populated. There are too many kids being born into this awful place. That’s why there is such a need for Orphanages to be built. The man who took me to Haiti and opened my eyes to the devastation there is Mike Fedele. He heard of the poverty there and one day he went to Haiti, all alone to see what he could do to help. Well, he ended up becoming friends with many of the Haitians, and built an orphanage there. He also started the organization, Life For The World, in hopes of getting more people involved in his work there. You may wonder how you can help with something like this, and the answer is right inside your own heart. God will help you help others.

Right now the Orphanage there has over 100 children. Still, 80 of them need sponsors so that Mike can get enough help to keep it running, and to build another one. With the help of people like yourselves, more orphanages can be built, and thousands of children can be saved! That’s a way to give, and receive in Jesus name and that’s one way you can help. Also, prayer is something that they need a lot of. When you pray, pray for your brethren in other countries who are suffering? God hears your prayers, and will listen to them! Ask God to show you how to help, and he will!

There is no definite solution to solving a problem as big as feeding and clothing an entire country, but we can help some. Spread the word to people about how much help these people and children really need. As Christians we need to have a Christ like mindset and think more of others than of ourselves. We need to stop worrying about all the problems we have in this life, and start caring about someone else’s. Remember…Bear ye one another’s burdens. Jesus needs us to be busy caring for the poor. If his followers won’t do it, who will? He told us to make good use of the time we have on earth. This is a great way to get involved take a part in a great cause. I would love to give you more information, please come talk to me about it! You can also talk to Mike, the owner of the orphanage himself.

Check out our you tube videos and find out more information at www.LifeForTheWorld.com.

I tried to Save Her Life

Woman who died in my arms in Haiti. I tried to save her life but couldn’t

Please sponsor a child at our orphanage for $30 a month: www.lifefortheworld.com

Michael Fedele
President and Founder
Life For The World

LFTW Saved Family After Earthquake

Greetings:

Michael, I hope this email reaches you in good spirits. I wanted to reach out and Thank You , Richard and the Staff at the compound in Haiti. After the devastating earthquake last year my cousin would of died of misery and hunger if it wasn’t for your organization. She literally had no one to turn to but us in the USA and it was quite difficult trying to get aid to her since everything was at a stand still. Your organization gave her food and a tent for shelter.The greatest part was you asked no questions but took care of the situation because you knew the need was great. How awesome is God that he put me in touch with you here in the US and the transformation began taking form in Haiti. I will be in Haiti next week and I am coming to the compound. My missionary team would love to spend some time with the children. I would love to do a class regarding hygiene when I am there if that is at all possible because this is something we must continue to instill in them everyday. I would love to talk about LOVE to all mankind no matter how bad or bleak the situations may seem. Please let me know if this would be okay. In addition, I will be on ground with a team in Haiti in September and would love to spend a few days with your organization. I do not have the exact date yet for that but it would just be 3-5 people. May God continue to hold You and the Organization so that it can continues to give LOVE and show LOVE.

Peace and Many Blessings

Mirlande Francillo