From Pastor

Pastor's Trip to the states

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:10:33 -0500

Greetings in the exposing and loving light of Jesus Christ as we live in His Epiphany!

We are making plans to welcome Rev. Paul in April. We trust that he will be full of energy and ready to talk. Here, in LaGrande, OR, we have a fairly full schedule and I understand the same is true when he is at Lamb of God LCMS in Lake Stevens, WA. We did offer for him to travel with his wife, Cliney, for this trip. They seriously discussed the possibility and declined at this time. "We talked about both of us being gone for over ten days, and we are not comfortable with that yet. There is so much going on." I encouraged him to keep this idea, of both of them visiting the states, in their minds.

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Trip to Port-au-Prince and Jacmel

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:03:06 -0500

Picture: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti Seminary

Happy Epiphany! May the revelation of Jesus Christ enlighten you as you receive from Him, most specifically in His Word and His instituted means of Grace.

Last year (January 2011) our mission team was with the ministry in Haiti and had the opportunity to witness the celebration of New Years Day. This is also Haiti's Day of Independence. Rev. Paul's ministry celebrates it with a formal worship service. At the completion of the service they provide the people with a nice meal. January 1, 2011 we had about 200-250 people in attendance. This year they had more than 500 people join them in worshipping the Lord. This did create a challenge. Rev. Paul was happy with the turnout, yet frustrated with the ministry’s ability to care for everyone. He said, "We had over 500 people--we were not able to feed everyone."

Rev. Paul is planning a trip to Port-au-Prince and Jacmel in southern Haiti this weekend. There is going to be a dedication of a building for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haiti (altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS) at the seminary's site outside of Port au Prince on Friday. With this trip to Port-au-Prince he requests prayers for Haiti, especially the turmoil still around Por-au-Prince due to the earthquake two years ago. He said, "About 50% of the buildings have been rebuilt. There is a lot of stealing from construction sites and stealing in general. Some people are trying to cross the border into the Dominican Republic--this is causing intense border tension--a very unfriendly environment." I am very thankful for the distribution of resources and solid stewardship that Rev. Paul and his ministry has administered. The NEHLM board and I are confident in the responsible use of the resources that Rev. Paul receives.

This Spring is a full schedule again for Rev. Paul. They will host Faith LCMS of Troy, MI March 19-25 as they make a second trip to serve. They have 18-20 members on their team and will provide further medical support. They also are making a generous donation to finish up work on the boys’ orphanage in order the boys may be received as orphans early fall of 2012. NEHLM is in process of taking sponsorships in order that these boys day to day needs are met. There is another possible team looking at the last week of March and then NEHLM Vice President Susie Rahn and 4 others are planning to go do some service the first week of April. After this Rev. Paul is coming to the states April 19-May 1. He will be one of the speakers for the Inland Empires Pastors' Conference April 24-26. More of his itinerary will come in a latter update.

The ministry has begun an after church fellowship time serving coffee and bread. This is being organized by long term missionary Emily Bartelheimer and Clynie Paul (Rev. Paul's wife). Rev. Paul's report, "This encourages the people and makes them very happy to have some food." I responded, "And as they come for that coffee and bread they receive the 'Bread of Life' Jesus Christ." "Oh, yes we are glad to have them receive the 'Bread of Life," said Rev. Paul.

God's peace to you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Preparations

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:17:13 -0500

Picture: Sunday morning church service

Happy New Year as we go through these twelve days of Christmas and celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord on January 6th with the story of the Magi, or as I prefer to say for namesake reason, the story of the Wisemen!

Rev. Paul had a successful trip to Port-au-Prince earlier this month. He was primarily involved with church body business as he serves as the bishop of Nord Est Haiti. He also reports that they have all been working very hard on their gardens. This is a great way to further develop a healthy work ethic in the children as they are able to harvest foods regularly for the ministry. Let us be thankful to be involved with a ministry which is diligent in the stewardship of resources.

I was finally able to talk with him on the phone at about 9:00 p.m. Haitian time. He was in the office getting ready for their "big weekend." There will be a big Service December 31st in which each person in attendance is provided a meal. There is also the Sunday morning Service on January 1st. Rev. Paul commented, "This is a big weekend and last Sunday we had a Bible study competition. There were nine children involved in the competition over the Gospel of John chapter 1-17. The three award winners were Dalisse (22 yrs. old), Elanie (16 yrs. old), and Whitney (10 yrs. old and the biological daughter in Rev. & Clynie Paul)." The contestants in this competition are asked questions and the ones that properly respond the fastest gets points. A great activity that would be nice to have take place worldwide.

In response to how everything was going he responded, "I like the weather, but the girls think it is cold--70 degrees in not cold. But the girls haves coats and blankets."

Clynie will be taking some funds that sponsors have sent, and a special fund raiser from a church, in order to get presents for everyone. Every gift is greatly appreciated whether it be the sponsorship of a child or student to provide for living expenses, undesignated donations that are used to provide investments, and special projects like Christmas gifts. I praise God for everyone who is involved with this ministry through financial support, prayers, and/or staying informed.

A Blessed Epiphany to you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Blessings

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:33:05 -0500

Picture: The orphans working the in gardens which produce 30% of the food they consume.

The Lord is Near! May this truth fill your heart and mind this Christmas Season.

The ministry of Rev. Daniel Paul has received a commitment from Faith LCMS in Troy, MI for another mission team to visit Spring of 2012. They will return for more medical care to the ministry and the are of Ouanaminthe, Haiti. They will pursue some substantial work for the boys’ orphanage, which is very timely. This team will also be involved in proclamation of the "Good News of Great Joy" concerning Jesus Christ.

We are all very thankful for the blessings the ministry is receiving in order that boys will be able to be received late summer of 2012. This means that Nord Est Haiti Lutheran Mission (NEHLM) is soliciting sponsorships for boy orphans. If you desire NEHLM to make a presentation for your church or group, please contact us through the NEHLM website or respond directly to me. Note we do have over fifty students that also are in need of being sponsored. (Student sponsorship is $20/month and orphan sponsorship is $50/month.)

Rev. Paul had some exciting news for me today when I talked with him. Last Saturday they had 30 people harvesting peanuts from their gardens and collected 500 lbs. Then on Monday they harvested 300 more lbs. "The girls are eating a lot of peanuts now. I will also take some of them to sell." I was very please to hear of their thriftiness in being good stewards of their crops.

Rev. Paul and Rev. Eliona Bernard, from Cap Haitian, will be traveling to Port-au-Prince this Friday to continue working with the Evangelical Church of Haiti (ELCH, who has altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS). Pursuing unity, the church is working with a brother pastor in the Central Plateau of Haiti. A couple of the young ladies from MADO will be traveling with them since they will all be going to a wedding of past ELCH President Isador's widow.

The angel Gabriel proclaimed, "Greetings, you are highly favored. The Lord is with you." That was spoken directly to Mary, however, in view of Jesus Christ's work all mankind can receive that "Greeting."

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Growing School

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:18:01 -0500

A blessed Advent Season to you as we are reminded that "The Lord is Near."

We are thankful that the Lord continues to be near and within this ministry that supports the proclamation of the "good news of great joy" in Nord Est (northeast) Haiti.

Rev. Paul reported today that, "We are doing fine! We have 175 students in our school and are going to be adding another class." The school continues to have a positive impact upon the community as the students are excelling with national tests. The curriculum does meet the standards of the national guidelines as well as provide instruction in Christianity. We pray that this well sown truth takes root and produces crops 30, 60, and 100 fold.

Rev. Paul went to Port au Prince last weekend fulfilling his duties as Bishop of Nord Est Haiti. There are concerns from Rev. Jean-Claude Marin of the Central Plateau (the middle region of the country). There seems to be some pressure for him to leave the affiliation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS) and become independent. Rev. Paul reported, "This is a financial concern." I am thankful that the leaders of the church came together to encourage this under-shepherd. May Rev. Marin be guided by the truth of solid doctrine as he goes through this challenging time.

The NEHLM Board will be having meetings in La Grande, OR this weekend. We have regular meetings via Skype and pursue a yearly face to face meeting for the three officers--President John Herbst, Vice President Susie Rahn, Treasurer Jennifer Yancey and Pastoral Advisor yours truly. We are very pleased to have Emily Bartelheimer and Cheyenne Yancey join us for the meeting this Friday and Saturday as they have had extended service time with Rev. Paul's ministry. Please pray safe travel for all involved. Susie and Emily will be at Peace LCMS in Selah, WA on Sunday and give a presentation of the ministry.

The peace of Jesus Christ be with you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Garden House Completed

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:26:05 -0500

Greetings during this last week of the church year as we recognize the Lord is near!

When I called Rev. Paul today, Clynie, his wife, answered who was in Santiago, Dominican Republic. I asked how she was doing, especially her back, since she previously had been struggling with back pain. She said, "Oh I am doing very well. I have just had three days of relaxing--I am feeling good. Do you want to talk with Daniel?" I affirmed that I did and was told I had to call another cell phone. When I got in touch with Rev. Paul he informed me that Clynie had been visiting a friend in the Dominican Republic and was on her way home-spending the night in Santiago. Considering the huge amount that she does for the ministry 24/7, we can be glad that she had this time of refreshment.

Rev. Paul reported that he met with the parents of about 5 sixth graders that attend our school who are concerned because their children will need to go to another school next year. From the orphanage we have 9 orphans going to secondary school. Let us pray for God's direction for this proper pursuit of education and how this ministry may some day be able to expand our education above sixth grade. Our school has gained many positive accomplishments. Several students have challenged the grade level exam and have passed, allowing them to skip a grade. The parents Rev. Paul met with were very pleased with the education their children have received as well as others in the community.

"We are working a lot in the garden," said Rev. Paul. "We are harvesting sugar cane, cassava, congo beans, okra, sweet potatoes, and oranges." I explained how my garden is done with no gardening for me for the next several months. I enjoy gardening; however as I empathize with the concept of all year gardening, that they have in Haiti, I am a bit overwhelmed. I am so thankful with Rev. Paul's and this ministry's resourcefulness.

They have completed the use of grant money from the LCMS World Relief and Human Care for the Boy's Orphanage and Garden House. You can see pictures at our website at www.nelhm.org. “Click on Albums & Movies,” then Garden House or Boys’ Orphanage.

NEHLM is making plans for Rev. Paul to come to the Pacific Northwest this end of April 2012. He is scheduled to be on a panel for the Inland Empire Pastors' Conference. This event will be at Redeemer LCMS in Richland, WA April 23-26. Discussions concerning missions are bound to be informative. Guests are welcome to come to this event. Please contact me if you would like to attend all or part of this event. Watch for times that he will be in the Lake Stevens, WA area (Lamb of God LCMS) and the La Grande, OR area (Faith LCMS).

The Lord be with you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Baptism

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 16:20:42 -0500

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

Let us celebrate with the ministry of Rev. Daniel Paul in Ouanaminthe, Haiti as this past Sunday (Reformation Sunday) they had six people receive the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism. I expressed to Rev. Paul the honor we have in supporting his ministry in which we are able to see social ministry accomplished effectively (that is caring for people in there earthly necessities), paired with the proclamation ministry of administering the Word and Sacraments according to Jesus Christ institution. Let us pray for the newly baptized as well as everyone of this ministry who are regularly brought by the Holy Spirit to receive further divine grace.

Emily Bartelheimer is scheduled to return to the states November 3rd. Please keep he travel and service in your prayers. She has devoted time and resources to this ministry in which we all benefit greatly. She is coming home for the wedding of her brother, work as a RN to obtain personal funds, as well as communicate with and for the Nord Est Haiti Lutheran Mission (NEHLM) board to further support this ministry. Thank you Emily!

The two construction projects sponsored by LCMS World Relief and Human Care are fairly well completed. The garden house is complete except for a "septic" (I think this means an outhouse). They have put up a security fence with barbed wire around this 6 acre plot. There is some securing touches to be pursued with the boy's orphanage. We are thankful that there is a mission team from Faith LCMS in Troy, MI planning to go work in March. This is the same church that sent a medical mission team last month.

As I was at a Circuit Reformation Service at Bethlehem LCMS in Hermiston, OR I noticed two bulletin boards with NEHLM information on them. They had some pictures of the children smiling. I told Rev. Paul, "The children have done an excellent job being beautiful models. It is so nice to see other churches being involved with this ministry." He responded, "Yes, we appreciate any and all support and prayers that everyone has for us--thank you."

The Lord be with you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Advisor

Future Mission Team

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:16:41 -0500

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Paul was very pleased and appreciative of the service that the ministry received by the fourteen member medical mission team that was with them in October. The team was from Faith LCMS in Troy, Michigan. They cared for over 900 people during their week stay. The team included caregivers for both medical and dental concerns. All the orphans received care, along with the students from our school and their family. The team then opened up their services to the community in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. When this occurred Rev. Paul reported, "People showed up at the gate to MADO at 2:00 a.m. to get in line to wait for care." We are blessed and thankful to this team for the service to mankind and God.

This team is planning a follow up medical mission in 2012. Praise God! And to go along with this it has been reported that Faith LCMS in Troy, MI is planning to send a construction team to help with a security wall for the boys' orphanage early in 2012. We humbly receive this generosity as God is leading them to serve in Nord Est Haiti.

Please continue to remember Rev. and Clynie Paul in your prayers. They have had many changes in this past several years. The magnitude of their daily responsibilities would seem overwhelming to most people. They desire and appreciate our prayers for them and all those that they serve.

The peace of Christ be with you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Advisor

Construction and Mission Team

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:23:10 -0500

Greetings in the name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Paul is driving to Port-au-Prince today to welcome a medical mission team from Faith LCMS in Troy, Michigan. Rev. Paul will load up his pickup with their medical supplies and drive back to Ouanaminthe while the team flies on Salsa Airlines from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien. This mission team has fourteen participants: doctors, nurses, dentists, and other helpers. With this size of team they will be staying at Hotel Ideal in Ouanaminthe. This is surely a blessing for Rev. Paul's ministry. The plan is to provide medical care for the girls and staff of the orphanage followed by providing service to the students and their families. With this select group there could be more than five hundred people receiving medical attention. Let us pray for the team's travel, safety, and service to those dear souls.

School officially started this week. The children were very excited! Education (and Christian education at our school) is surely a tool to help these dear souls in Haiti to become more efficient and at peace as they live in their improvised environment. We are so thankful for the efforts of Rev. & Clynie Paul, teachers, and all those who support the educational ministry.

The garden house that is being constructed with funds from LCMS World Relief and Human Care has shown great progress. Rev. Paul commented, "The garden house is going along very fast." Emily has some pictures of several phases of construction. Please look at the pictures of the construction.

There has been some theft of supplies at the boys' orphanage. The ministry sees the need to construct a security fence as soon as possible. Rev. Paul desires to have construction completed enough at the boys' orphanage in order to have some person living there with some "security dogs." May the Lord guide His people in the paths of opportunities to serve.

The Lord be with you,

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor

Busy Schedule

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:07:28 -0500

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Daniel Paul continues to maintain a full schedule. His service onto the Lord ends up with many responsibilities: Bishop of Nord Est Haiti, Pastor, construction supervisor, chauffeur, mission team host, "Papa" for three biological girls and 42 other girls, overseer of school, gardener, husband, etc. Oh and to mention husband, his dear wife, Clynie, is a great helpmate in many of these endeavors and has assumed the lead position in some of the pursuits. She is lovingly seen as "Mama" for those same girls. And to think the ministry is expanding in order to receive about 20 boys in a new facility that was worked on this summer. The plan is to receive the boys next summer, which will allow some time to complete some necessary details and equipping of the new facility that was funded by a grant from LCMS World Relief and Human Care. Let us pray for the Lord to strengthen and guide Rev. and Clynie Paul in their service unto our Lord Jesus Christ.

The ministry is preparing to host a medical mission team from Faith LCMS in Troy, Minnesota. The leader (Ron Chapman) of this team has led many trips to Haiti and we are blessed that they are going to our ministry in Nord Est Haiti. They plan to arrive on October 6th and serve the orphans, students, and likely some in the community. Please remember them (travel and service) in your prayers.

One of the first things Rev. Paul reported in our latest phone call was that, "We have had a lot of rain, a lot, a lot, a lot!" This has slowed down some construction work because trucks bringing the supplies are not able to get through (muddy roads). The Caribbean airlines "Salsa" is the airlines that flies regularly from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitian (several mission teams have used this airlines). A Salsa plane crashed last week due to heavy rain. We mourn with the families of the six people who died in this crash.

The Lord bless you for being concerned enough to read this email. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Rev. Sam Wiseman
NEHLM Pastoral Advisor