The caretakers of our children at COTP are Haitian women.  We call these wonderful ladies nannies.

It has been a desire of the COTP staff to conduct a nanny training.  We were thrilled when Adam figured out a schedule that would allow the nannies to attend a training session.

April 30^th we held our first of six training sessions.  Each nanny attended one session.

The nannies were eager to attend.  They told me that the children always get to school and this training session is school for gwo moun big people.

Nannies waiting for their session to start.

Nick, our director shared the new vision for family homes.  He walked the nannies out to our back property to show them the first home.  Nikki brainstormed how to better care for the children with the nannies.  They came up with possible activities.  She also introduced our baby house room changes.  More to come about this in another blog.  

Fifi (our nurse) teaching how to use the new intake/outtake chart.

Our nurses, Sheila and Fifi, led the nannies in health care return demonstration that allowed for them to practice on dolls.   The nannies loved the dolls so much they named them after their favorite children.  Fifi named her baby doll Rose Guerda after the baby she loves.

Fifi leading a return demonstration on mixing a bottle and feeding a baby.

The nannies holding their baby dolls.

Renel taught the nannies how to cash their checks.  We use to handout money, but with a growing number of staff we are moving to checks.  He taught them how to sign a check and where to go to deposit the check.

Renel teaching the nannies about their paycheck.

Child Sponsership

Yesterday we were able to go to church with these beautiful children, while our home church in the States had a child sponsorship kickoff for them at Central.  Already 18 of these children are sponsored.  

Bethlehem Foundation All Rights Reserved

The children pictured above are 5 of 41 children that live at Bethlehem Foundation in Cap-Haitian, Haiti.  Unlike the children that live with us at Children of the Promise these children live in an orphanage.  Bethlehem Foundation is their permanent home.

Pastor Brian has become friends with the director of Bethlehem Foundation, Pastor Blot, over his 3 visits to Haiti.  He introduced us to Pastor Blot and we too have become good friends.  Pastor Blot pastors a church and has a 540 student primary school.  When the 2010 earthquake devastated southern Haiti the Haitian government was looking for places for orphaned children to live, Pastor Blot took in 37 of those children.  Since then he has added 4 more.  

Our church is teaming with 1-by-1 Haiti to sponsor his 41 children.  The Bethlehem Foundation is completely Haitian staffed.  The goal of this child sponsorship is to continue to have the Bethlehem Foundation Haitian run.  The money will go toward schooling and feeding the children.

If you would like to get involved contact Pastor Brian at  brian.mulder@centralsf.org

Pastor Blot and his wife with Adam and Pastor Brian

Our Nannies Do All

Five weeks ago we received a call that shook our hearts.  At 2 am one of our dear nannies called Adam to tell him that one of our little girls had passed away.  Earlier that day she had accompanied the little girl to our local hospital.  She had come into our care extremely malnourished and she was in a fragile state.  That night she sat with her while she went to heaven.

Our nannies do great things here.  They are the mothers.  They are the nurses.  They are the ones who sometimes have to be with our children when they die.

COTP New Standard

Last month when Jamie came to visit he put together a video stating COTP purpose and the direction we want to go.  

My precious preschool children can be spotted throughout the video clip, as well as Adam and I.

Click here to watch this video.

Nick's Construction Video Blog Feb 6th

COTP is expanding our complex by building homes on our back property.  There will be one home for the director, as well as many homes for families.  

I am so excited about these family homes.  The families are going to live with our children.  It will become our kids' foster homes.  My coworker Nikki states something like, God designed it for children to grow up in families.  We are the second best thing for them.  

Knowing that we are already second best, COTP wants to ensure we are doing our very best.  These homes are so important, because we need to provide the emotional security of a family.

Click on here to watch the video.

Seven Places Earthquake Money Did and Did Not Go

I awoke early this morning, so why not write a blog post...

My uncle sent me this article that really got me thinking about the country Adam and I are currently living in.  I highly encourage you to read it.  The authors Bill Quigley and Amber Ramanauskas might help you reconsider your thoughts on Haiti.

This Thursday it will be 2 years since the the January 12, 2010 earthquake occurred outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  Adam and I haven't spent time in Port-au-Prince.  Our only experience was driving a mile from the international airport to the domestic airport.  But, during our flights in and out of Port-au-Prince we saw the informal camps.

Our home near Cap-Haitien is 84 miles from Port-au-Prince, but feels like forever.  In fact, our friends just made the drive and it took them 7 hours each way.  These are the two largest cities in Haiti and it takes 7 hours to travel between them.  Haitian and non-Haitian friends tell us the road hasn't always been like this.

With the publicity from the earthquake millions of dollars in aid are being raised.  In my opinion some of this money should be going to infrastructure and provide employment.  Unfortunately much of the aid isn't being spent by the Haitians or even on the Haitians.



That is why you need to read the article to find out where the money is going.

Note:  It is difficult to get accurate and up-to-date statistics on Haitian unemployment, but from my experience even in northern Haiti the unemployment rate is high.  There are more unemployed Haitians then employed.  That is one reason I am thankful for COTP, because they employ 80 Haitians.  Currently COTP has been working hard to create leadership positions that empower Haitians.  On the bottom of this page you can read about COTP management employees.

Second Mile Ministries: Monia's Story

Amy and Jenn are past COTP volunteers. They are starting a very cool ministry. Here is the story that started their ministry...Second Mile Ministries: Monia's Story: Meet Monia. Her story, set in the spring of 2011, inspires the vision of Second Mile Ministries in a huge way. Monia is a wonderful mot...