Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:1-10)
Yes, this is Good Shepherd Sunday. You’re all familiar with the image: a smiling Jesus sitting under a tree, with a cute little lamb on his lap. Or maybe the one with Jesus standing, staff in hand, with the lamb across his shoulders. It’s a beautiful image. It’s a safe image. And it’s a true image; but it’s a very incomplete image. To understand what Jesus was getting at, you have to know the context. To whom was Jesus speaking when he called himself the Good Shepherd? And what did it mean to them?
First, Jesus was not talking to his followers. He was addressing the Pharisees. They were accusing him of being from the devil because he healed a blind man on the Sabbath. His response was that he was the Good Shepherd, not like the hired hands who collected their pay for watching the sheep, but abandoned them in their time of need, because they didn’t really care for the sheep.
Now for thousands of years, the Jewish people had used the Good Shepherd image for God. It goes all the way back to Genesis 49:24, which says that Joseph was saved "By the power of the mighty one of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, the God of your father ..." Such imagery was used by Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, Amos, Zeccariah, and of course by David in his Psalms. Psalm 80 begins "Shepherd of Israel, listen, guide of the flock of Joseph, from your throne upon the cherubim, reveal yourself ..." And who can forget Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
So the Pharisees knew exactly what Jesus meant — he was claiming to be God. They also knew he was contrasting himself to them — the hired hands entrusted to care for God’s people, but caring only for themselves. The Pharisees came in for a lot of abuse at the lips of Jesus. It wasn’t that they were particularly bad people. By most standards they were very good people. But they had gotten legalistic, and had lost sight of the spirit of Judaism. I’ve been told that can even happen to Christian churches.
In this context of a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, the Gospel fits right in with the other two readings. In Acts, Peter and the other apostles were called on the carpet for healing a cripple. (They got in trouble the same way Jesus did, by doing good. Maybe more of us should get ourselves in trouble like that.) Peter answers his accusers by chastising them. "Leaders of the people, elders! We heal in the name of Jesus, whom you crucified ... the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone." And in John’s letter, he points out that the world does not recognize them becuase it never recognized Jesus.
Because of the common theme running through these readings ( the gross failure of the religious leaders of the day), I like to call this "anti-establishment Sunday" ... or maybe "blind fools Sunday," because that’s what Jesus called the Pharisees. He warned the people not to follow the example of the Pharisees. Instead, he offered them someone else to follow — the Good Shepherd.
The shepherd image comes up again after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus and his apostles had just finished a breakfast of fish and bread on the shore of Lake Tiberius, when Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter answered, "Yes, Lord. You know I love you." Then Jesus said, "Herd my lambs." ... What? Did I say something wrong? Jesus didn’t say, "Herd my lambs."? Well, what did he say? "Feed my lambs!" Yes, there is a difference, isn’t there?
A second time, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" And a second time Peter answered, "Yes, Lord. You knoooooows that I love you!" And Jesus said, "Drive my sheep." ... What? He didn’t say that either? Oh, right. He said, "Look after my sheep. Tend my sheep."
Then yet a third time, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. By this time, Peter was getting really miffed. Let’s face it, he was hurt that Jesus asked him the same question three times. One might almost expect Peter, like some harrassed husband, to say, "I told you I love you. Whadda you want, flowers?" But the gospels report he merely said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Then Jesus said, "Keep my sheep in line, and for goodness sake, make sure none of them have any fun!" ... Why are you smiling? Are you telling me he didn’t say that either? Alright, what did he say? "Feed my sheep." ... That’s it? "Feed my sheep"? You’re sure there’s nothing in there about keeping them in line? Well, what have all us successors of Peter been doing all these years? You mean my job is not to keep you on the straight and narrow? Boy, is this going to come as a shock to some of the pastors I know!
"Feed my sheep." That sounds like the job of a ... of a ... of a servant! Is that what I’m supposed to be — your servant? ... You bet! That’s exactly what I’m supposed to be. That’s why Jesus washed the feet of his apostles — to set an example of ministry for the shepherds that would come after him. He was talking about every-day down-and-dirty ministry. Unfortunately, some pastors today are not shepherds, but hirelings.
A shepherd in those days didn’t walk behind the flock beating them with a stick to keep them moving. He walked in front of them, seeking out a safe path to food and water and shelter. The sheep followed him, because they recognized his voice, and they trusted him. Jesus tells us that’s the kind of Good Shepherd he is. He leads, and we follow.
St. Peter never got up and said, "My name is Peter. I’m you’re new shepherd. You just follow me and do what I say, and you’ll be fine." No! Instead, he said, "That Jesus whom you crucified, He is the one you must follow." If we follow Peter, it is only because he is following Jesus too, and pointing to him, and we happen to be going the same way.
That’s the way it is with us, followers of Jesus, members of his flock. We are all called to have a little shepherd in us. If one of us falls, the rest of us stop and pick him up and put him on our shoulders. If one of us strays, the rest call out and point the way (as best we know it). But we don’t follow each other. Together, we follow Jesus, for there is but one flock, and one Shepherd.
Peace and Love,
Reverend Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, you shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
(Matthew 4:1-11)
On Wednesday we began the season of Lent which is our preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Excluding Sundays it is a season of forty days, in imitation of Jesus spending forty days in the desert. Jesus fasted in the desert, and overcame the devil’s temptations. Jesus never sinned but in the desert he was tempted, and during these forty days of Lent we remember Jesus in the desert as we try to overcome temptation in our lives and to overcome sinfulness. There is practically no hiding place or shelter in the desert and the difficulties of the desert make whatever is inside a person come to the surface. The desert tests and shows up a person as he/she is. Lent is an invitation to us to take the courageous step of “going into the desert” and not hiding from what lies hidden deep within us. Lent is a time to put our souls before a mirror and see ourselves as we really are. Lent is an invitation to allow our sin and darkness and wounds come to the surface so that we can deal with them and allow them to be healed by the grace of Jesus. During these forty days of Lent, let us not hide from our sinfulness or prevent God speaking to us or healing us during this Lent. It is only when we admit something that we can deal with it. The first stage in overcoming anything is to admit the problem. If we remain in denial we miss out on the grace of God to heal us and renew us and make us whole. What is the favorite or most prevalent sin that we keep committing? Let us say no to the devil’s temptations to continue committing that sin, and instead let us trust in our heavenly Father like Jesus in the desert. The words of Jesus can be our words this Lent, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) Lent is not only about helping others, about doing something, it is also very much about the type of person we are.
Since the early centuries the Church has suggested three things that we undertake during Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is for this reason that the Gospel text for Ash Wednesday every year is Jesus’ advice on prayer, fasting and almsgiving (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18). During Lent let us pray more, fast and help the poor.
For almsgiving or helping the poor, the Church makes it easy for us by giving us the opportunity to contribute to Catholic aid agencies. Helping the poor during Lent brings the words of Jesus to mind, “Whatever you did to one of the least of these you did to me.” (Matt 25:45)
Fasting is another task the Church encourages us to undertake during Lent. From the spiritual point of view, fasting symbolizes our dependence on God. It expresses the fact that we really are trying to put God first in our life. The Bible tells us that fasting from food must go together with fasting from violence and fasting from oppressing people (Isa 58:3-12). In other words, when we fast from food it is to be accompanied by a loving and forgiving attitude towards others. We could say that fasting from food in itself is not what is important, it is what the fasting symbolizes that really matters. So to fast in a way that is genuinely pleasing to God, can we make an effort to forgive those who have hurt us and not harbor resentment any longer? Why do we need to keep up grudges? Is it merely because we like to be in control? Perhaps to forgive, we also need to give up our need to dominate and control others. If we have a problem forgiving someone, let us share it with the Lord and ask his help and grace so that we may forgive. While we may not forget we certainly do not want to live being dominated by past wounds. We want to live in the present free of the past.
Lent is also a time for more prayer. We live busy lives and there is much emphasis on enjoying life but a life without prayer is a life without the joy of the presence of God. If we do not pray we are not Christians at full potential; we are only walking when we could be flying. Martha was busy serving when Jesus came but Mary spent time with him and Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) Lent is not only about helping others and doing something, it is also very much about the type of person that we are. Let us pray more because all goodness comes from God and when we pray we touch God. There is a difference between a do-gooder and a Christian. A Christian is a do-gooder who also prays. God is our loving Father who greatly desires us to allow him close to us, so let us pray more this Lent and experience more of the joy of know God our Father.
The word “Lent” is an old English word which means “springtime.” May this Lent really be a new springtime in the lives of each of us. Through prayer, through fasting from food accompanied by forgiving others and not bearing grudges, and through donating from our surplus to help the poor, may we like Jesus in the desert for forty days overcome temptation and thus be well prepared to celebrate Easter.
Peace and Love,
Reverend Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, you shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
(Matthew 4:1-11)
On Wednesday we began the season of Lent which is our preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Excluding Sundays it is a season of forty days, in imitation of Jesus spending forty days in the desert. Jesus fasted in the desert, and overcame the devil’s temptations. Jesus never sinned but in the desert he was tempted, and during these forty days of Lent we remember Jesus in the desert as we try to overcome temptation in our lives and to overcome sinfulness. There is practically no hiding place or shelter in the desert and the difficulties of the desert make whatever is inside a person come to the surface. The desert tests and shows up a person as he/she is. Lent is an invitation to us to take the courageous step of “going into the desert” and not hiding from what lies hidden deep within us. Lent is a time to put our souls before a mirror and see ourselves as we really are. Lent is an invitation to allow our sin and darkness and wounds come to the surface so that we can deal with them and allow them to be healed by the grace of Jesus. During these forty days of Lent, let us not hide from our sinfulness or prevent God speaking to us or healing us during this Lent. It is only when we admit something that we can deal with it. The first stage in overcoming anything is to admit the problem. If we remain in denial we miss out on the grace of God to heal us and renew us and make us whole. What is the favorite or most prevalent sin that we keep committing? Let us say no to the devil’s temptations to continue committing that sin, and instead let us trust in our heavenly Father like Jesus in the desert. The words of Jesus can be our words this Lent, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) Lent is not only about helping others, about doing something, it is also very much about the type of person we are.
Since the early centuries the Church has suggested three things that we undertake during Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is for this reason that the Gospel text for Ash Wednesday every year is Jesus’ advice on prayer, fasting and almsgiving (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18). During Lent let us pray more, fast and help the poor.
For almsgiving or helping the poor, the Church makes it easy for us by giving us the opportunity to contribute to Catholic aid agencies. Helping the poor during Lent brings the words of Jesus to mind, “Whatever you did to one of the least of these you did to me.” (Matt 25:45)
Fasting is another task the Church encourages us to undertake during Lent. From the spiritual point of view, fasting symbolizes our dependence on God. It expresses the fact that we really are trying to put God first in our life. The Bible tells us that fasting from food must go together with fasting from violence and fasting from oppressing people (Isa 58:3-12). In other words, when we fast from food it is to be accompanied by a loving and forgiving attitude towards others. We could say that fasting from food in itself is not what is important, it is what the fasting symbolizes that really matters. So to fast in a way that is genuinely pleasing to God, can we make an effort to forgive those who have hurt us and not harbor resentment any longer? Why do we need to keep up grudges? Is it merely because we like to be in control? Perhaps to forgive, we also need to give up our need to dominate and control others. If we have a problem forgiving someone, let us share it with the Lord and ask his help and grace so that we may forgive. While we may not forget we certainly do not want to live being dominated by past wounds. We want to live in the present free of the past.
Lent is also a time for more prayer. We live busy lives and there is much emphasis on enjoying life but a life without prayer is a life without the joy of the presence of God. If we do not pray we are not Christians at full potential; we are only walking when we could be flying. Martha was busy serving when Jesus came but Mary spent time with him and Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) Lent is not only about helping others and doing something, it is also very much about the type of person that we are. Let us pray more because all goodness comes from God and when we pray we touch God. There is a difference between a do-gooder and a Christian. A Christian is a do-gooder who also prays. God is our loving Father who greatly desires us to allow him close to us, so let us pray more this Lent and experience more of the joy of know God our Father.
The word “Lent” is an old English word which means “springtime.” May this Lent really be a new springtime in the lives of each of us. Through prayer, through fasting from food accompanied by forgiving others and not bearing grudges, and through donating from our surplus to help the poor, may we like Jesus in the desert for forty days overcome temptation and thus be well prepared to celebrate Easter.
Peace and Love,
Reverend Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Is your faith built on rock or sand?
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Matthew 7:21-27
All along the Sermon on the Mount has been about how to be a true follower of Jesus. It now comes to an end with a reflection on what our words and deeds really mean. Just because we say we are followers of Jesus and cry out “Lord, Lord” does not mean we are true followers. We may even be able to do powerful deeds in Jesus' name. But in the end Jesus will be the real judge of who is a true follower.
It will not just be a question of hearing Jesus' words but of acting on them as well. Both people building a house in the final parable have heard Jesus' words in the Sermon just completed. But only the one who acts on them builds on rock. The situation is typical of Palestine where during the dry season not a drop of rain falls and the ground is dry and hard everywhere. But when the rains come rivers appear. Floods gush down the dry walls and houses built on the sandy soil are washed away. Only those built on solid rock remain.
For centuries Christians have been debating just how we are to understand the Sermon on the Mount. Is it really meant to be taken seriously? What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Are we really supposed to turn the other cheek? give our coat to someone who asks for our shirt? Yes. But in the end each of us needs to work out the details. It is more than saying “Lord, Lord.” It is more than performing great deeds in Jesus' name. It is building our life on the rock that is Jesus himself. In him the Law and the prophets are fulfilled, and the will of God is fully revealed.
The Sermon on the Mount, which concludes in today's Gospel reading, is quite simply a masterpiece of moral and ethical teaching. It holds out the defining and absolute blueprint of how to live the life in the Spirit. It is the Magna Carta, if you like, of the Christian life.
It is easier to talk about the Sermon on the Mount (or write about it, or even preach about it) than to put it into practice. It is always easier, it is true, to fight for our principles than to live up to them. However, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, Jesus' invitation is to do just this: to put the Sermon on the Mount into practice. To live it, breathe it, witness to it and be guided by it.
Peace and love,
Reverend Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Matthew 7:21-27
All along the Sermon on the Mount has been about how to be a true follower of Jesus. It now comes to an end with a reflection on what our words and deeds really mean. Just because we say we are followers of Jesus and cry out “Lord, Lord” does not mean we are true followers. We may even be able to do powerful deeds in Jesus' name. But in the end Jesus will be the real judge of who is a true follower.
It will not just be a question of hearing Jesus' words but of acting on them as well. Both people building a house in the final parable have heard Jesus' words in the Sermon just completed. But only the one who acts on them builds on rock. The situation is typical of Palestine where during the dry season not a drop of rain falls and the ground is dry and hard everywhere. But when the rains come rivers appear. Floods gush down the dry walls and houses built on the sandy soil are washed away. Only those built on solid rock remain.
For centuries Christians have been debating just how we are to understand the Sermon on the Mount. Is it really meant to be taken seriously? What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Are we really supposed to turn the other cheek? give our coat to someone who asks for our shirt? Yes. But in the end each of us needs to work out the details. It is more than saying “Lord, Lord.” It is more than performing great deeds in Jesus' name. It is building our life on the rock that is Jesus himself. In him the Law and the prophets are fulfilled, and the will of God is fully revealed.
The Sermon on the Mount, which concludes in today's Gospel reading, is quite simply a masterpiece of moral and ethical teaching. It holds out the defining and absolute blueprint of how to live the life in the Spirit. It is the Magna Carta, if you like, of the Christian life.
It is easier to talk about the Sermon on the Mount (or write about it, or even preach about it) than to put it into practice. It is always easier, it is true, to fight for our principles than to live up to them. However, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, Jesus' invitation is to do just this: to put the Sermon on the Mount into practice. To live it, breathe it, witness to it and be guided by it.
Peace and love,
Reverend Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Friends of Haiti, Inc.
The Mission of the Friends of Haiti, Inc.
THE FRIENDS OF HAITI, INC. is an IRS authorized 501C3 nonprofit corporation, organized and operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. Specifically, this organization has been formed to (a) provide relief to the poor, distressed and underprivileged and (b) advance education in the country of Haiti. Our organization has designed and developed a program to further advance our purposes.
The Friends of Haiti Inc. will help the people of Haiti who are poor and most at risk. We will support schools in Haiti with school supplies and a specific program of tuition assistance for the needy students who are Haitian. Our tuition assistance will specifically target the school for Nurses and Doctors. Haiti is in need of professional medical people to assist in providing quality healthcare. We can think of no better area to find these professionals than in the country of Haiti itself. Therefore we have sought to create a means to help encourage the people of Haiti to not only gain much needed education, but also for these educated Haitians to then give something back to their own country.
Our program will primarily be conducted in the area of Port au Prince working in conjunction with the “University Notre –Dame d’Haiti, located at Rue Sapotille – Pacot, Port au Prince, Haiti The tuition assistance program for Haitian students will last for one school year and be reviewed at the end of the school year for the next school year. Our tuition assistance program will be open to the public in Haiti. Needy students will be selected based upon recommendation from the school, and tuition assistance will be granted based on funds available. Education assistance will be reviewed during the summer months to select students that will be helped through The Friends of Haiti Inc. for the new school year in the fall. In addition we will provide on a continuing basis, the supplies needed for these educational purposes.
The program administration will be conducted from our headquarters at 2520 Mesa Verde Terrace, Henderson, Nevada, 89074. Joseph and Sue Provost, along with the Board of Directors, will oversee our activities. All Board members and officers have business backgrounds and have been active in charitable works through their own churches and with national organizations such as Rotary International and Haiti Outreach.
We ask you to help us make a difference.
If you are interested in helping us "make a difference" please contact one of us using the following emails:
Joseph Provost
joecool057@aol.com
Sue Provost
sprovost@lvcoxmail.com
William VanOoyen
vanooyen@cox.net
Dan Maier
CDMaier@cox.net
Or Write to:
The Friends of Haiti, Inc.
2520 Mesa Verde Terrace
Henderson, NV 89074
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
THE FRIENDS OF HAITI, INC. is an IRS authorized 501C3 nonprofit corporation, organized and operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. Specifically, this organization has been formed to (a) provide relief to the poor, distressed and underprivileged and (b) advance education in the country of Haiti. Our organization has designed and developed a program to further advance our purposes.
The Friends of Haiti Inc. will help the people of Haiti who are poor and most at risk. We will support schools in Haiti with school supplies and a specific program of tuition assistance for the needy students who are Haitian. Our tuition assistance will specifically target the school for Nurses and Doctors. Haiti is in need of professional medical people to assist in providing quality healthcare. We can think of no better area to find these professionals than in the country of Haiti itself. Therefore we have sought to create a means to help encourage the people of Haiti to not only gain much needed education, but also for these educated Haitians to then give something back to their own country.
Our program will primarily be conducted in the area of Port au Prince working in conjunction with the “University Notre –Dame d’Haiti, located at Rue Sapotille – Pacot, Port au Prince, Haiti The tuition assistance program for Haitian students will last for one school year and be reviewed at the end of the school year for the next school year. Our tuition assistance program will be open to the public in Haiti. Needy students will be selected based upon recommendation from the school, and tuition assistance will be granted based on funds available. Education assistance will be reviewed during the summer months to select students that will be helped through The Friends of Haiti Inc. for the new school year in the fall. In addition we will provide on a continuing basis, the supplies needed for these educational purposes.
The program administration will be conducted from our headquarters at 2520 Mesa Verde Terrace, Henderson, Nevada, 89074. Joseph and Sue Provost, along with the Board of Directors, will oversee our activities. All Board members and officers have business backgrounds and have been active in charitable works through their own churches and with national organizations such as Rotary International and Haiti Outreach.
We ask you to help us make a difference.
If you are interested in helping us "make a difference" please contact one of us using the following emails:
Joseph Provost
joecool057@aol.com
Sue Provost
sprovost@lvcoxmail.com
William VanOoyen
vanooyen@cox.net
Dan Maier
CDMaier@cox.net
Or Write to:
The Friends of Haiti, Inc.
2520 Mesa Verde Terrace
Henderson, NV 89074
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Called to Share
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
(Isaiah 25:6-10)
God invites each of us to partake in a rich meal, a banquet of fine foods and good wine. It is an invitation to come to Him, to unite ourselves with Him, to eat His body and drink His blood. This invitation is given to us by God every single day and it is for everyone, not just a few lucky or chosen ones.
This message of inclusiveness is of growing importance to us as our global world continues to shrink. As followers of Jesus, each of us is called to play our role in building the kingdom of God. Each of us is called to invite all people to join in the feast.
In the course of this week, you may be invited to share a meal with someone or you may invite someone to join you for a meal. Who will you invite? What will you share? Will the meal nourish and uplift those around you?
Jesus has called us to live as He did. Would truly serving someone be a good way to start?
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
(Isaiah 25:6-10)
God invites each of us to partake in a rich meal, a banquet of fine foods and good wine. It is an invitation to come to Him, to unite ourselves with Him, to eat His body and drink His blood. This invitation is given to us by God every single day and it is for everyone, not just a few lucky or chosen ones.
This message of inclusiveness is of growing importance to us as our global world continues to shrink. As followers of Jesus, each of us is called to play our role in building the kingdom of God. Each of us is called to invite all people to join in the feast.
In the course of this week, you may be invited to share a meal with someone or you may invite someone to join you for a meal. Who will you invite? What will you share? Will the meal nourish and uplift those around you?
Jesus has called us to live as He did. Would truly serving someone be a good way to start?
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
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