"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor." Revelation 4:11
"The Lord our God is worthy" is the spirit with which the HCM family celebrated Christmas. My mom Betty, our founder, was in full celebration mode as she led a Christmas morning service in West Palm. Christmas day was also her birthday, and her priority was simply to glorify our Lord with praise and worship from the pulpit.
We are so thankful for your generosity and prayers throughout 2022. The difficulties in serving Haitian communities are plentiful. But God has shown us that He is still at work amid the turmoil. All of our staff in Haiti--over 400 in total, managed to remain active and serve others. They are defiant in the face of violence and faith-filled as they carry out their calling. Their safety is HCM's number one priority, and we covet your prayers for them.
Over 60% of HCM schools were recently able to bring students back and continue their education. God continues to protect and keep them safe as they travel to school.
Over the Christmas break, we had about 1200 children gathered to celebrate the birth of Jesus. These parties weren't just fun and games, but we made sure the real reason for the Christmas season was taught- the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the youth who were able to safely attend, it was a much-needed time of fun and celebration.
Our Play It Forward program was able to bring the kids together over the Christmas break for a time of fellowship and various sports activities. They played in a soccer tournament and participation in other social games brought smiles and laughter to their faces.
In 2023 we are placing an added focus on our students and on all Haitian youth. Your donations will help churches, schools, and athletic programs to become ideal places for us to foster a favorable outcome for their future. Gang recruitment activities, child trafficking, and modern-day slavery are all real issues that children face in Haiti. With your prayers and support, we can continue to stand in the gap for our youth and provide a better outcome.
We look forward to 2023 and sharing with you our exciting ministry plans. We know God will be working in new and relevant ways!
Happy New Year,
Edwens Prophete