Wednesday, December 28, 2016

THANK YOU!!!!


THANK YOU...

If you you are reading this then you have a played an IMPORTANT part in my ministry adventures this year in Haiti. Maybe you made a financial donation, prayed, shared stories with family/friends, or you came and served. Each of these are crucial roles in my success. To ALL of you I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for impacting literally hundreds of lives.

As I was going through pictures today I started to think about the hundreds of Thank You's the people I serve would say to you... my faithful supporters... if they could. A lot of times it is the little things that matter the most like a hug, a listening ear, community with other mothers who are in the same situation, a new piece of equipment that increases their child's quality of life, etc. 

HERE are just a few things I believe the kids and their families  would want you to hear....
Ralph's mom would say THANK YOU for helping us pay rent so I had a safe place to care for Ralph. With all the rain we had this fall I can't imagine being homeless. 

Thank you for giving my son the ability to walk. For facilitating us to see Phoenix Rising and STAND and have a custom leg built for him. I know get the JOY of seeing son walk! THANK YOU!




Thank you for visiting me at home. I never thought you would hike all the way up the mountain to see me. I was having a very rough day and needed that hug and to have someone listen and pray for me. Watching you love on my child and do therapy with my child encourages me that I can do it to. Your visit helped me realize that you care about me and my child as individuals. THANK YOU! 
I never thought my child would ever be able to stand but today gave me HOPE! My child stood and I get to take this PVC pipe stander home so my child can practice everyday at home. Thank you!
I love standing at home but my stander broke and it has been months since I stood. I am so EXCITED that I will now be able to stand at home again!
I can STAND! I never thought I would be able to STAND by myself. Not only can I stand but I get to stand at home everyday because of the PVC walker that was made just for me! Thank you!

Thank you for providing our kids with the ability to sit up at home. They used to lay all day but now have the chance to comfortably sit.
My child cries now when I take them out of their chair to lie down.
My child no longer coughs while she eats like she did when she was lying on the ground. 
My child loves feeling apart of the family now that she can sit outside with us.


Thank you for enabling my son to get orthopedic surgery. This year he had his third surgery. He can now Stand up! He loves going to school and is thriving. I don't know what I would have done without the outreach program. Over the last few years you helped me get out of an abusive relationship, secure safe housing, helped me get a job, and provided a support system of other mom's, and my weekly time in therapy with my son has enabled me to see him make huge progress and empower me to be a great mom to him!
I am thankful for the eye team that came in and checked my child's eyes. He now has the glasses he needs to see.
I am thankful that someone finally took the time to tell me that my child had Cerebral Palsy and to explain to me what that is. I have been seeking help for my child for years all over Haiti but no-one ever told me a diagnosis or what his prognosis was. Although it was hard news to hear. I came to get his eyes checked and was crushed when their was nothing that could be done but I left with answers. Thank you for going above and beyond. 
I got glasses and now I can see things I have never been able to see before. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up. I didn't want to take my glasses off after receiving them. Thank you!

My child was born with club feet. I was worried he may never walk. Then I found hope and help by coming to the club foot clinic at the Miriam Center. My child received weekly casting and then surgery. My child is going to walk. Not only that I found support through the other mothers who were there it helped me realized I was not alone. 
I made a 4 hour trip seeking help for my daughter. She was 10 and is not able to even sit. I felt overwhelmed and so I came hoping to find someone to take her. I was unsuccessful... But I left encouraged and full of hope. I left with equipment that helps my daughter kneel and sit. The staff from the Miriam Center and STAND took the time to educated me on things I could do at home to better care for my daughter. I have never seen my daughter loved on so much as I did that day at the clinic. Thank you!
Our children got the rare opportunity of getting orthopedic surgery. We feel lucky and blessed! Our children are going to walk! Thank you!
We look forward to coming to outreach. These are not just our friends but they are also our family! Thank you for Outreach!
Because of you my child still lives at home...I was able to hire a caregiver to help me care for her while I continue to work, care for her siblings and her sick mother. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do asking you to take my child but I felt hopeless and without other options. THANK YOU for giving me another option. Thank you for providing monthly support for my child's caretaker. 
Thank you for our new wheelchairs. We can now sit more comfortably throughout the day! 

Thank you for my new wheelchair. I love the fact that I don't have to crawl around in the dirt anymore and that I can just roll myself around. My knees used to get sore and I hated when my hand hit a sharp rock. Now my knees and hands don't hurt. I am proud of my new chair! THANK YOU!
We are thankful for family and the fact that we can be silly and have fun together. Like the day we all decided to grow mustaches! LOL
I was scared and overwhelmed the first time I came for help but everyone was so loving. You quickly made me feel loved and you loved my daughter. I am so used to getting weird looks because of her small head and deformed feet. Without supplemental formula, thickener to prevent her from aspirating, and all the medical care you provided her this year I don't know if she would still be alive. She is not just alive but she is thriving. I look forward to her getting weighed each week. I have watched her feet go from being turned sideways to facing straight. I will never forget that day you gave me a break and let me have a fun day with my son at a carnival VBS while you held Noel. I never got to do fun stuff like that before and my heart was bursting with JOY as I watched my son have the time of his life all the while knowing Noel was being loved on. THANK YOU!

Thank you for the opportunity to learn and have fun! I look forward to going to sensory school every morning. 
Thank you for the chance to have 3 weeks of hands on learning. We all learned so much about pediatric Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy as well as how to build and adapt equipment for children. Because of these 3 weeks at the Miriam Center there are 17 more Rehab Technicians in Haiti who know how to do pediatric specific therapy. 
Thank you for helping us learn Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy. We are excited to get out into Haiti and start helping people. You helped us learn to be creative and how to build adaptive equipment out of cardboard, ductape, wood, and other items we can get in Haiti. THANK YOU!


I thought I would never walk again. I was sad...hurting...and getting depressed. You see I fell out of a tree while trying to get some fruit down. I landed on my feet but it caused a spinal cord injury. I lost the ability to control my bladder and bowels and could not stand or walk. I went to the hospital but they released me with little hope of ever walker. That is when I came to the mission. They were able to help me get life flighted to Cap Haitian where I have been in an inpatient rehabilitation facility for the last 4 months. I am walking again! I am daily getting stronger. I am still in Awe of how God provided. THANK YOU! for getting me the care I needed. 
Thank you for our new chair we are much more comfortable sitting and our new chairs have tray's which allow us to play and learn more easily. THANK YOU!

My child's head started growing bigger and bigger after she was born. I was scared. I didn't know what was wrong. I don't have $ to go to the best doctors and I didn't know where to find help. I am so thankful that a friend told me about the Miriam Center. They took the time to explain to me what my child had and they are helping her to get surgery. I have HOPE now. Thank you!
Thank you for helping Haiti become a full member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy! This is HUGE for the future of Therapy in Haiti!
Thank you for helping us get accreditation for the first ever bachelors level Therapy Programs in Haiti! Haitians now have the chance to be educated and provide these services to their country. THANK YOU!
Because of the Miriam Center I am in a safe and loving environment. THANK YOU!

Because of the Miriam Center I get to go to school! I look forward to going to school each day!
Because of the Miriam Center I had a safe and loving environment to mourn the loss of my mom and learn to laugh and have joy again!
Because the Rehab Tech students made me a new scooter board I have a new found mobility :-)
because of the outreach program my parents feel empowered to care for me. You see I am medically fragile. I am 4 years old but only 7 kilos. The miriam center provides my parents with the extra nutrition and medicines I need. THANK YOU for helping my parents care for me. They love me so much!
Thank you for empowering us to care for our children. Our kids get excited when they know we are heading to the Miriam Center for therapy or an outreach fun event.

Thank you for teaching me how to and providing opportunities for me to have fun with my child. You see life is hard at home, money is tight, and we live in survival mode most of the time. It is such a blessing to step out of reality for a few hours and just have fun! I love being able to watch my kid have fun and light up with JOY as we spend time together having fun. THANK YOU!
Thank you for empowering me to take care of my grandson. When his mom abandoned him I didn't know what to do. I am old and weak and have health problems and Mike has is totally dependent on me to care for him. Thank you for helping me with food and medicine for him. Thank you for frequently visiting us at home and for educating me on how to best care for him. Thank you for understanding that I can't make the long trip to the mission with Mike and making exceptions to the rules for me. I love my grandson so much! Thank you!

Thank you for teaching me how to do therapy with my child...how to best care for him...for providing us with all the equipment we need at home to help him grow stronger and gain new abilities. This is more than a program to me.... this is FAMILY! I look forward to coming each week. It has been a hard adjustment with the new program and not coming weekly anymore but I am thankful the program is now helping more children and families. I know how much the program has helped me and my son and I know so many more need help. THANK YOU for investing in me and my son.
The staff at the Miriam Center helped me through some of the hardest hours of my life when I found out my sweet baby boy went to be with Jesus. They prayed with me, held me while I cried, and helped me financially so I could bury my son with dignity. They reassured me that he was in Heaven. They will never know how much that meant to me. 

Thank you for empowering me to care for my nephew. When my sister died during childbirth we didn't know what to do. We though the best thing was to get him in an orphanage. I know I was reluctant to keep him but I didn't know how to care for him and I could not afford formula and he had other medical issues as well. Thank you for helping me to care for Ernie Kervins. I am never thought he would live let alone be thriving. Thank you for providing formula, helping him get medical care and hospital care on multiple occasions. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. 
Thank you for empowering us us and enabling us to have rewarding jobs as therapists at the Miriam Center.
So take a minute and REJOICE with me (and Gildine) in all the statements above... REJOICE with me knowing there are hundreds more I didn't have time or space or the knowledge of the true depth of impact this program is having.

THANK YOU for playing a part. THANK YOU for caring and investing in each of the children lives in the Miriam Center... each of the families in the outreach program and each of the staff at the Miriam Center. 

NONE of this would be Possible with a SUPPORT system that is 
1. PRAYING- for me, for the kids, for the outreach families, for the staff, etc. There is power in prayer! Life in Haiti is HARD... there are so many challenges... Please add the Outreach Program, the Miriam Center, and myself to your prayer list. We need prayer warriors battling with us. 

2. FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING- this ministry is completely dependent on financial donations. Each child that receives therapy, each parent education event, each outreach fun outing, each bag of nutrition food, each piece of adapted equipment we make, etc. As the ministry grows so does the amount of money we need to raise. Would you please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Every little bit counts. Maybe all you can afford is $10 a month...GREAT that 10 dollars could change a child's life! 
you can go to www.cten.org/autumnmarshall/ or CLICK HERE to set up a monthly donation or to make a 1x donation towards the ministry. 

3. PERSONALLY SUPPORTING me through you words of encouragement, Care packages, and visits to Haiti. Thank you!

I am heading into this CHRISTMAS WEEKEND Rejoicing in what God has done not only in Haiti through my ministry but also the fact that my ministry exists because He sent his 1 and only son to the earth all those years ago.

I pray each and everyone of you have a very blessed Christmas!

Ps. (Stay tuned for the 12 Days of... and My Christmas Greetings emails all coming out in the next week!)


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