Well, it has been a long harrowing 5 months. We are so very sorry for the lack of communication over the last while.
We can not ever explain fully what we have gone through during and since Jan 12th 2010. It is something unfathomable to all of us. In fact there is not many of us left in the category of missionaries that went through the quake and are still here.....so many missionaries have left (or at least left over the past few months and are now back in Haiti). We are not sure we have processed much, if any of it. Do you ever?
Anyway, we are so excited that you have been with us and Mission of Hope over the past 5 months and we want to apologize to any of you that we have not personally thanked yet for your financial support post earthquake. You are all such a blessing to us (and your thank you is coming soon!). We appreciate your patience in this regard. Your prayers and donations have not gone unnoticed.
We wanted to fill you in on a few things. The first is that due to the earthquake, we have decided that we need to stay in Haiti longer. This country is only starting to recover and both Laurens and I are actively involved in rebuilding lives and homes. We do not feel that God is done with us here yet. The second as you blog readers know is that I (Cheryl) sold my Oakville based practice. This was something that was hard to do but that we knew without a doubt that this was what God wanted us to do. The third is that we are coming home for a break this summer!!
Our adoption process is moving fast since the earthquake but it is still not completed. This means that the twins can not leave the country yet, but they are one stamp away from being legally ours! Having said that, Laurens and the other 3 kids will leave for Canada June 28th and I will stay here in Haiti with the girls. At the end of July we will switch and Laurens will return to Haiti while I come to Canada for the remaining time to Aug 19th. It is not ideal but it will work. Please pray that God will still do a miracle and we will be able to all come home as a family. Our hearts desire is to have a break as a family but we know God is sovereign and we trust in Him.
We would love to see you when we are home and we hope we get a chance to connect. We will need some time to ourselves but will also like to share our experiences with you.
Please pray about how you can help support Mission of Hope and our family for this upcoming year in Haiti. Our financial goals are still $3000/month for our personal support and beyond that for the hospital (which now houses our amputees), orphanage, housing etc. Click on the link to the right to donate directly. If you have fundraising opportunities for us to help rebuild lives in Haiti, please let us know.
God Bless and we look forward to seeing you,
The van der Mark's
2 comments:
Sorry to here i will miss Laurens in Haiti when we come in July.
I want to say, publicly, how impressed i am at your level of commitment to our Lord. Many speak of commitment and Even give it their best effort. Few achieve a level of commitment that truly inspires others and changes lives. Your family does just that. I cant wait to get to know you both better as we serve together and i pray some of that commitment rubs of on me. God bless you guys. Enjoy your holiday.You deserve it.
I am alway praying for you both!!!!
I so enjoyed reading your blog, and about the work God is doing through you.
My heart, and prayers, are with you.
Traci Vandermark in NY
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