HFM News..

The latest information from Issue 55, October 2015 of HFM News, posted with permission. They are working on their web-site. Sorry I couldn't get the pictures to load. If you would like to receive an e-mail forward of the newsletter to see the pictures, please let me know and make sure we have a current e-mail address. Kris

A few years ago, Bruce Willis starred in a film called “Mercury Rising”. The plot of the movie revolved around a young autistic boy who was able to decipher a secret gov-ernment code because of his so-called “handicap”. All he had to do was look at the puzzle and he was able to dis-cern its meaning which was a mystery to everyone else. Hopefully, no one will find the above pictorial diagram diffi-cult to interpret, but just in case, let me explain what it all means. 

The frame on the far left is that of a house HFM recently purchased in Jenison, MI. The owner was about to lose his home to the bank. His life had more challenges than he could handle. In an attempt to help, his local church ap-proached Habitat for Missions to see if we were interested in purchasing the property for a reduced price in a short sale. It took nearly seven months to meet all of the legal requirements, but the sale was finally completed last month. A great burden was lifted off the shoulders of a dear brother in the Lord and HFM got a great investment property at the right price. 

The second frame pictures the leadership team of Day-break Church, Hudsonville, Mi. I’ve long admired the minis-try of this congregation. They were my inspiration and role model for a church we planted in Australia in 1996. Day-break’s innovation in reaching the unchurched for Christ is unrivalled. But their creativity is not limited to the style of their worship services or local church programming. Now they’re thinking out of the box in an attempt to provide ad-ditional funding for missions. Under the able leadership of Global Outreach Director Kris Dekker, this church will be developing the Jenison property to provide financial sup-port for Dr. Kris and Cory Thede, picture in frame three. 

The Thedes also have an amazing, innovative ministry, but on the Caribbean island of Haiti. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. The average annual per capita income is only $350. To make matters worse, over 60% of the food for Haiti must be imported, putting additional strain on the family’s budget. Cory is a horticulturist and has created some hybrid plants that produce amazing food in Haiti’s difficult growing conditions, providing both short and long term assistance to the indigenous population. They’ve also written and published a book on farming in the Cre-ole language to improve agricultural practices. 

Although Dr. Kris Thede is not running a local clinic at the mo-ment, in the past she has served at the hospital on LaGonave and provided emergency medical care after the earthquakes in 2010. Since then she has focused her efforts on providing heath care through education. Dr. Thede has written a self-help manual in the Creole language to teach families how to treat minor medi-cal problems, as well as practice preventative medicine. She also acts as a consultant for local Haitian doctors. However, her pre-sent priority is the home schooling of their teenage daughter, Anna. 

We recently received the following thank you note from Cory: 

“Learning about being chosen by Daybreak to support our family and ministry by flipping a house with Habitat for Missions came as a huge surprise and blessing to our family. What great news to start off a fresh term of service, and our 18th year of living in Haiti! We have followed the updates from Habitat for Missions for years, never really thinking that one day we would be blessed personally by the ministry.” 

“We remain thankful for the privilege of seeing the house and meeting a few of the team while still in Michigan and praying with them. We will faithfully be praying for the Daybreak Church and Habitat for Missions, as well as for the project house. We recog-nize and often witness the Lord working though the tremendous power of prayer.”