We Have Clearance, Clarence!

Praise God.  We're introducing the latest students to enroll for fall classes at Cowman International School in Vaudreuil, Haiti:

 

Sarah (6 - entering 1st grade), Samuel (9 - entering 5th grade), Hannah (11 - entering 6th grade), and Caleb (12 - entering 7th grade)! Don't they look adorable in their Haitian school uniforms? 

It will take all the self-control I can muster to not overuse my exclamation points for this particular post.

After some prayer, pleading, Skyping and emailing on our part and some accommodations and number crunching on the parts of the field and OMS headquarters, we have a Green Light for an August departure for Haiti.  Hallelujah!

Unfortunately, this does not mean that we are 100% funded.  So why is an exception being made for us?  Because the need for teachers at Cowman is urgent.  The kindergarten slot which Melissa is excited to fill has already been open for a year - this past year it was filled by the principal, who ran herself ragged trying to meet both the demands of a class of 5 and 6 year olds and the administrative demands of the entire school.  Meanwhile, in the upper grades where I will teach, a full class of 6th graders is currently finishing up the year and will be expecting to continue with Cowman into the 7th grade next year.  AND Cowman is losing one of the upper grade level teachers in two weeks as this school year closes. 

And open teaching positions do not gather quite as many resumes in Haiti as they do in Indiana.  So, for better or worse, we are it.

So, if we aren't 100% funded, how is it even physically possible for us to go?

A) If we raise another few hundred dollars in monthly pledges, then...

B) the remaining shortfall each month will be covered by the funds our generous ministry partners have already given to date.

(And together, that will get us through the first year at least.)

We have had some folks who, in faith and with great generosity, have been sending money to our support account for some time now - upwards of 18 months in some cases!  (THAT exclamation point was irresistible.) THEY are the reason our family will reach the starting line in August.  Our gratitude to these brothers and sisters in Christ is boundless.  You are precious to us and we are so eager to begin the work you are enabling in Haiti. 

If you are not one of our partners but the Lord is nudging you in that direction, NOW would be an awesome time to get started!  (That's the last exclamation point. I promise.)  You can initiate the process by visiting the official One Mission Society website HERE or our own support site HERE or give us a call or send an email (sgross@onemissionsociety.org).  Thank you and God bless.