In an effort not to turn our two week absence from Haiti into a four week hiatus from blogging I’m sitting at the computer late at night and typing with hopes that this turns into an enlightening or at the very least, an intelligible summary of what we’ve been up to and where we’re headed next.
Did you catch the last couple of facebook statuses? We made two today. The first was something like…:Yay, happy to be home! …which is exactly where we’ve been since Tuesday. The second was to make an exciting announcement, an opportunity that couldn’t have come at a better time.
MATCHING DONATIONS!!!
Remember in January when we raised $10,000 because of a matched gift that set us on our way to accomplish a whole lot of awesome? Well, that happened. And it can happen again! We are so stoked and so grateful for the generosity of a certain family that has offered to match all donations up to $5,000 this week.
Simply amazing. We’ve got such big dreams and plans for the property and you can help us get that $10,000 to push forward. Thanks in advance!
And thank you to everyone who hosted us in America
And that brings me to our second big announcement.
I feel like I should be calling for a drumroll, please.
Jenn is heading back to the States! For some reason, it just feels like the right thing to do. She’s headed there for an indefinite amount of time to do some more fundraising. The goal is to raise $30,000 in a span of two, maybe three weeks and get back to Haiti
No one, not even those little dancing monkeys, really likes the feeling of asking others to reach into their pockets and dish out the cash. We’re no different. Blessed be the day when we don’t ever have to “fundraise” again…which is why we’ll call this a “connecting” trip which is what it really is about anyway. We want to connect you to the awesome story God’s writing just a few hundred miles south of the great Southern states. We’ve both experienced what it’s like for God to tap us on the shoulder to tell us he wanted us in the game. And we wouldn’t trade that for anything! We believe it’s worth getting to watch a bit of that game, or at least get to know the players, so you can recognize that tap when you see it. You may get sent in for the fantasy version which is my fancy way of saying God might be calling you to play apart in something a world away from the comfort of your home and your community.
You may be asking why $30,000? That's a fair question. My quick answer is that God just put that number in our heads somewhere along the line. But since some people may not find that answer fully satsifiable, I'll give you some more details. We want to finish the clinic! It's going to cost around $5,000 to finish the roof and fully stock our clinic with two beds/exam tables, waiting area benches, selving, and of course some first aid supplies and basic medications. Secondly, we need $2,500 for each mom/baby home. We want to build 6 of these homes at one time! That's another $15,000. And the last project we hope to complete is the back property. The back property needs fencing and lots of chickens, goats, and cows. With just a little bit of attention that back property can become a garden that will feed our comound and an exciting agricultural training program that we've yet to talk much about on the blog. Can you believe all of this can be done for under $30,000?
If we can achieve our first goal of $10,000 through matching donations, and Jenn goes to the States and raises another $20,000 we could finish all of our building in less than two months! Our clinic could be open to serve the community next month!
You may be asking why $30,000? That's a fair question. My quick answer is that God just put that number in our heads somewhere along the line. But since some people may not find that answer fully satsifiable, I'll give you some more details. We want to finish the clinic! It's going to cost around $5,000 to finish the roof and fully stock our clinic with two beds/exam tables, waiting area benches, selving, and of course some first aid supplies and basic medications. Secondly, we need $2,500 for each mom/baby home. We want to build 6 of these homes at one time! That's another $15,000. And the last project we hope to complete is the back property. The back property needs fencing and lots of chickens, goats, and cows. With just a little bit of attention that back property can become a garden that will feed our comound and an exciting agricultural training program that we've yet to talk much about on the blog. Can you believe all of this can be done for under $30,000?
If we can achieve our first goal of $10,000 through matching donations, and Jenn goes to the States and raises another $20,000 we could finish all of our building in less than two months! Our clinic could be open to serve the community next month!
So let’s do it. Garage Sales, Burrito sales, auctions, cook-outs, bracelet parties, car washes you name it! Jenn is starting her trip in the Mid-West and she’s ready to travel! Just send us an email if the thought of Jenn coming to visit you is so exciting you’ve already whipped out the lemonade stand in celebration.
We woke up early yesterday and today to cut cardboard boxes and to roll beads. We have quite the team and its all hands on deck. With Jenn heading back to the States in four days we want to make as many bracelets as possible. Many of you participated in a recent fundraiser where we sold bracelets made by Haitien artisans in Port-au-Prince. These bracelets made out of recycled paper products were a huge hit!
It's so exciting to have some of our own!
To donate to Second Mile Ministries, follow this link.
And don't forget Jenn wants to visit you!
Email us here: connect@secondmilehaiti.com
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