Please visit our new website at:

www.disciplesvillage.org

An Update on the Georges

Some of you have asked me for an update on the newlywed Georges.  As most of you know, last September they let us know they were going to transition back to the states to start their family and new life together.  They graciously volunteered to stay with us until Wes, Nicy and family had relocated here in March.  So after months of preparation and saying good bye, on March 22, we sent them off with all our love and blessings. 

I received an email from Kendall the other day and learned that things are going well and they are settling into their new life.  They are living with Kendall's folks and are enjoying time with family and letting everyone fall in love with Patrick.  Kendall went to a job interview and was hired on the spot for a permanent position at a temp agency.  As we all know, she makes a very good first impression and will do a wonderful job with them.  Patrick is getting used to American life and is considering doing some on the job electrical training with Kendall's Dad.  He's enjoying time at their cross-fit gym and is even trying his hand at cooking - preparing Haitian food for the family!  (Never saw that one coming!)

We love and miss them and all of us at Alex's House send them our love.

Bondye beni nou Kendall & Patrick!

 

Our Growing Family

We proudly introduce the two newest family member's of Alex's House, Diore(pronounced like Joey) and Lourdemia.  They were brought to Alex's House several months ago by IBERS, the Haitian governing body of orphanages.  Their mother is severely disabled and unable to continue caring for them.  We took them in to foster will IBERS further investigated their situation.  They are now officially a part of the Alex's House family.

This was the first picture posted of Diore and Yourdemia on
 Facebook when they arrived at Alex's House

Diore, 8

June 8, 2006
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Food: Rice mixed with beans and legume(a mixed vegetable dish)
Favorite Subject: Grammar

Diore is such a great big brother.  On one of pairs first days at Alex's House, he brought over his water  cup for Lourdemia because she hadn't received one yet.  We explained that she would get her own cup of water and he could keep his!  He does great with school work.  Micky keeps him in line and makes sure he knows his lesson each day for school.  Like most other Haitian boys, Diore loves to play soccer.  He has a big smile and is just a generally content eight year old!


Lourdemia, 7
January 24, 2008
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Food:White rice, bean sauce and legume(a mixed vegetable dish)
Favorite Subject: Math

Lourdemia is a lively, extremely girly seven year old.  She loves having her hair fixed and likes to fix others hair.  Her naturing side can be seen when she is playing(ok sometimes bossing)Widena and Wislove.  Lourdemia loves to play with dolls and fashion new clothes for them.  She has the cutest snaggled tooth grin!


Both children are in need of full sponsorship-Daily Bread, Child to School, and Life Skills.  If you would like more information on sponsoring Diore or Lourdemia, please contact our Sponsorship Director Monica Langdale at monica@alexshouseorphanage.org.  We hope you come to visit us soon and meet our new family members!

Children's Leaders Conference

Alex's House hosted a three day Children's Leaders Conference led by Hope Community
Church(Kentucky) in January.  Over 50 Haitian workers and pastors from our partnering churches attended the training.  The team of ten workers from Hope Community Church have a combined total of 192 years working with children!  They used their experiences in ministry to develop a conference focused on  the why of teaching children, the how of practical methods and the importance of prayer in ministry.


Each day a variety of sessions including teaching, small group challenges, discussion questions, worship and demonstrations were presented.  Teaching sessions focused on why it is important to teach children, the differences in teaching children and adults, how to use objects from your surroundings to enhance teaching and different methods for conveying a message.

Attendees were split into groups and given different passages that teach about the importance of children.  Discussion prompts directed them to look at how children were involved in the scripture and what that says about the importance of children.  After studying the passage in their small groups, they presented the meaning of the passage to the large group.  Attendees took the studying very seriously and had great insight to share with the group.

A presenter spoke on the differences in teaching children versus adults.  This lesson was one that really resounded with the pastors and leaders.  In a follow-up discussion with Pastor Frito of Pierre Payen, he told Conference Director Steve Haddix that he had been teaching his children as if they were adults.  From the conference, he learned children cannot learn in the same way as adults.  He plans to get volunteers from his church to teach children separately now on Sunday mornings.


One of the challenges given to teams included giving each group items collected around the York House yard to create bugs.  This demonstration taught participants to think outside the box for items they already have available  to create crafts, teaching props, etc.



For one session, Hope member Ricky Hall taught the story of David and Goliath in costume as if he were David.  He showed the group how interactive storytelling captures the audience and helps them to grasp the concept better than simply standing in one place reciting a lesson.

The group gave examples of how to teach through music using hand motions, reading a story from a book using character voices and having children involved in a skit.  After the session, groups were given a story prompt and had to come up with the best method to share the story with a group.  They first had to identify the main point of the story and then tell how to best teach it.  Several groups said a skit was the best teaching method while another used finger puppets to demonstrate their main point.

Conference Director Steve Haddix said he was uncertain of the reception his team would receive going into the conference.  Would the methods used in US to teach children translate cross- culturally?  At the conclusion of the three day conference he was blown away with the level of participation by attendees. He had several post conference discussions with pastors who were eager to implement the teaching methods they learned.

Alex's House extends a huge thank you to the members of Hope Community Church who spent many hours prepping for the conference!  We pray that the training will impact many children in Haiti for the gospel.