What’s in Store for 2019: Our Kids

Hopefully you had the chance to read our previous blog post in this series about job creation (if you did not please click here).  We have a lot in store for 2019 for our kids, and I will fill you in on a lot of those things in this blog.  However, there is one vital thing that we need to work on for our kids this year and it is based on a very exciting job creation initiative that we mentioned in the previous post and that we will share with you more in the coming weeks…

OUR KIDS NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH!

Jess and I have always wanted to teach english to the kids, but the more time we spent in Haiti, and the more employees we have had to manage, and the better we got at Creole, and the more kids we have had… the more difficult it has become to make that a focus for either of us.  With that said, our most exciting job creation initiative right now is reliant on training to be done in english.  This opportunity could truly be life-changing for many of our kids, but it hinges on this need.  With that said, please pray for All Things New and our kids.  We have tried an english school and tutors in Haiti but with little success or improvement for the kids.  We are not sure what the solution is yet, but we are open to any ideas that you may have and we definitely covet your prayers for this.  We will also be praying and thinking through potential ideas and will communicate with you when we have them.

Here are some of the other things that we are praying for our kids for 2019:

• A 100% passing rate at school.
• Transitional housing for our older kids.
• Vocational training opportunities for our older kids in the summer and when school is out.
• Increased involvement in our local church.
• That our kids would enjoy life and get to take part in some special fun activities like beach days, restaurant outings, summer camp, and other things that come up along the way.

These are all specific goals for our kids, but these specific goals are all under the context of their growth as followers of Christ and we are praying that this happens first and foremost.  We believe that 2019 is a big year for ATN and for our kids.  Our hope is that each of them begin to see a vision for their future that includes more than just survival.

When we first sat down to discuss Herbison’s future, I remember seeing panic and fear in his eyes.  He definitely thought we were going to tell him that he was too old to live with us and that it was time for him to go.  He has never had the opportunity for someone else to pour into him and help him to become the man that GOD created Him to be.  The relief that I saw in his face when we reassured him that we (and I do mean “we” as in all of us) would always be there if he needed us was one of the saddest things I remember from those meetings.  We told him that even when he is older, if he is struggling he can always come to us for help no matter where we are.  If 2019 holds nothing else, how great would it be if all of our kids realized that they have a support system, they have people in their corner, and most of all they are dearly loved.