For Jonathan Outreach Day 2- MOSLINE

Mosline has been faithfully coming to outreach for the past 3 years. Over the last 3 years I have really fallen in love with this family. They are one of the most faithful families. They are always on time if not early for outreach and their most every week. Mosline has low muscle tone, visual impairments and sensory seeking tendencies. When she started coming to outreach 3 years ago she was unable to sit unsupported let alone stand, she did not like holding objects or playing with toys. Her mother stated she had to do everything for her and wanted to know how to help her.

Over the last 3 years Mosline’s mother and myself have worked hard with Mosline and she is making good progress. Her mother is eager to learn & takes time to work with her daughter. Mosline has worked on holding/playing with toys which she thoroughly enjoys now especially vibrating toys or noise making toys. She loves swinging, massage & the vibrating brush and thinks it the BEST part of therapy. She is not a fan of core-strengthening on the therapy ball or working on standing/walking but does a great job. Mosline can stand with minimal support for ~10 minutes now and can take steps with Maximal assist. I usually sit on the floor and move her feet forward 1 at a time while she holds her body upright (which shows great increase in core-strength). I absolutely love watching her mother and older brother (who comes with them every week to therapy) interact with her, encourage her, and work with her.

 

I have had the wonderful privilege of visiting their home on 2 separate occasions this last year. They live in a small 1 room shack in what would be considered the “Slums” There door does not close, their roof leaks and they live close to the ocean so when there are bad storms there is flooding. All they had in their home was a Bed, a table, a few chairs and a couple suitcases. The first visit I did not have a translator and so spent most of the visit playing with Mosline and her siblings. Moslene’s brothers & cousins had fun watching car videos on youtube from my phone and having me take pictures/videotape them so they could see themselves.  I did demonstrate to her mothers that Mosline could work on standing propped against the bed. It was a great visit.

 

The second visit I played with Mosline. She was very excited about the noisy toys.  Her mom made sure I noticed that 1 leg was weaker than the other & we discussed ways she could help strengthen it at home. I had Nicholson my translator with me and so I had the opportunity to learn more about her story. I learned that she is a single mother of 6. Her 2 oldest live in PAP and the 4 younger ones still live with her. She is unemployed and unable to find a job. She has not heard from the children’s dad in years. Mosline is the youngest. She does everything she can to make ends meet but most of the time they are lucky to eat 1 meal a day.

She shared that she has rich family who live in the states & recently returned to Haiti. They blessed many people with there wealth but were unwilling to help her because she was a Christian. The whole reason they traveled back to Haiti was to go to a big celebration in Ansephalor the voodoo capital of Haiti. Mosline’s mother’s love for the LORD is so evident each week when we have Bible Study & Pray. She always volunteers to pray and when scripture is read she is often mouthing the words from heart.  When asked how I could pray for her she said for her daughter to talk, for shelter (there house is falling apart), & that she could grow in her faith & stay encouraged! She proceeded to pull out a very worn bible that you could tell was her prized possession & shared her favorite passage of scripture that she finds hope in.

Psalm 118

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

² Let Israel say:
    “His love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say:
    “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say:
    “His love endures forever.”

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹¹ They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
¹⁶     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.

²² The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
²³ the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.

²⁵ Lord, save us!
    Lord, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.^[b]
27 The Lord is God,
    and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
    up^[c] to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Mosline’s mother said multiple times how faithful God has been for providing for her needs even though she is a single mom without a job. She said how blessed they have been that none of them have been super sick or needed serious medical attention.  We were then Able present her with a solar power Christian radio with MP3 version New Testament from radio 4VEH. She was so excited & said this is an answer to prayer to help me stay encouraged & grown in my faith!!!

At outreach one day when we had a time to share praise reports…Mosline’s mother shared how one day she was desperate…she had been unable to feed her family for 3 days…she went outside the house…sat on a chair & began singing praises to God and praying for God to provide. A short time later a man came buy & blessed her family with food! What a testament to God’s faithfulness/love and to Mosline’s mothers faith!

Ever since that first visit to their home my heart has been burdened for them…wanting to help. Well, when I got back to Haiti after being so sick & realizing I could no longer tolerate all the oil that is used while cooking the food at the mission (or all Hatian food). I knew I needed to cook for myself. With that said I knew I would need to get food at least biweekly at the market. I also knew that if I went to the market the prices would double because I am a “blanc” or “white”. As I was praying about it Mosline’s mother came to mind. I asked Presidue if she had a job and he said no. I then proceeded to ask her if she would be willing to go to market 2x a week and buy my groceries and in return I would pay her 100gds = $2.50USD each time she went so $5.00USD a week. She immediately said yes and started thanking me profusely. Every morning when she comes to get my grocery list I am greeted with a huge hug and when she returns an hour or so later with my produce I am again hugged and thanked and she says a blessing over me.

I continue to have a burden for this family. I would love to be able to bless them with a new roof on their home to keep them dry when it rains and fix their door so they don’t have to worry about the little they have being stolen. The estimate I got is that it will cost about $200-250 USD for supplies & labor to provide this. If this is something you would like to help with please contact me & let me know.

Please keep Mosline and her family in your prayers. Please especially pray for her mother that she can stay encouraged & continue to grow in her faith, that she could find a job and that God would continue to provide for this families daily needs and protect their health. Pray for Mosline that she will continue to gain skills and talk one day as her mother longs for that so bad.