Dr. Luke and I spent last week at the hospital in Les Cayes. We’re thankful for the timing of our trip, arriving just a few days after a tropical storm dropped 15 in. of rain in 24-hrs, and as I’m writing this Hurricane Melissa has formed just south of Haiti bringing lots of wind and rain.   We highly value the education of our employee’s children, and after several years of trial and error we officially began an education program to cover their tuition costs! With tuition costs at approximately $350 per student and many of our staff only earning $150 a month, paying for their children’s education is almost impossible. Our education program begins with the children of the lowest paid staff members and moves upward as funds allow. Last year we were able to fund the tuition of 58 students and this year we are excited to be supporting 101 students! All but one of the students from last year passed their classes, which is a condition they had to meet to be eligible for subsequent tuition. Each child must also purchase the books they need for classes. We started a book program this year to assist; we will purchase books for students to use, and once a student is finished, they will return the books to be used by the next student.  We appreciate your help in funding this program, and if you would like to donate to help with these children’s education, please note ‘Education Fund’ on your donation.   Dr. Bill had a tremendous heart for children’s education and encouraged them to pursue the medical field. Right now, we have 3 students making their way through medical studies: Marc Dubuisson, Gedeon Achemie, and Sully Gusline. Please keep them in your prayers as their studies require much dedication, along with facing serious threats as two of the students’ schooling is in or near Port Au Prince. We look forward to them finishing in the years to come and becoming a part of our team!     It is with sadness that we share the news of Beth Newton’s passing. Beth struggled with health issues for the past year or so, and the Lord called her home last week. She spent over forty years ministering in Haiti, mostly at Centre De Sante Lumiere. Her work with the nurses and nursing education set the foundation for our nursing program. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of the Haitian people and we have missed her presence over the last couple of years. Her work in Haiti will have an influence for years to come and we are thankful for the blessing she was to us.

The conditions at CSL continue to change. The staff is maturing and handling the daily operations on their own. They continue to impress us with their desire to not only improve the services we currently offer but also add needed services. Our role is changing to that of a coach and guide, along with getting the hospital medical supplies and equipment. The hospital is a very busy place! Talking to one of the local missionaries, he described how difficult it is to drive past the hospital because of all the people, motorcycles, and cars in the street. One of the problems we are discussing is how to increase our number of beds as we are at times sending patients home sooner than we would like to make room for more urgent cases.

It’s hard to believe we’re already planning for the coming end of 2025. For many years, we’ve had a Rice and Goat fund as a year end gift to our dedicated staff and we are excited to continue that again this year. Many of you have been faithful contributors to this fund, and we thank you. It is a gift of more than money; I hear so many comments about how much it means to our team to have your support and encouragement.

We appreciate the prayers for our ministry and request specific prayers as we plan how best to expand our facility and for our staff as they deal with difficult living conditions. But above all, we pray that the patients we serve will find not only physical healing within our doors, but that they will be met with the love of Christ and be granted spiritual healing.

Please consider a donation to one of our funds: Rice and Goats, Education, and Poor Fund. We are thankful always for your support!

Dan

Our mailing address is:
Centre de Sante Lumiere
2632 28th St. SW
Wyoming, MI 49519