Baking Cakes & Dreaming Big

Kathrine* is like many 16 year old girls you might know. She loves to bake cakes with her mom. She looks forward to summer camp with her friends and enjoys singing. She’s excelling in school and working hard to do well. Kathrine is full of life and talent, and we’re thrilled for the direction she’s going in life.

 

 

But it hasn’t always been this way. When Kathrine was a very small child, she realized quickly to get out of her father’s way when he arrived home drunk. She hid in the shadows to avoid another beating. Things got worse when her mother died unexpectedly. Her dad said he couldn’t afford to send her to school. Kathrine couldn’t help but think it was somehow her fault that so many things were bad in her life. Abuse, fear and hopeless days felt like they would never end.

 

 

But God saw her pain. Eventually, Kathrine’s dad was unable to care for her at all. She needed somewhere to go, and God provided an open door for her to come to an LSM Home of Hope that was opening! Kathrine joined her new family. Her loving parents protect her and treat her with great love. She’s catching up in school from her late start. It’s within this family that Kathrine is learning, growing and ultimately finding the safety and security she needs to thrive.

 

 

Kathrine’s biggest joy is being introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus! She talks about how He has been with her, even in those dark days before coming to her Home of Hope family. She finds a lot of peace singing and spending time with her church youth group. We give God the glory for this wonderful transformation!

 

Baking cakes with her mom might seem like a small thing – but it’s a beautiful picture of the healing, hope and love that she knows today. And we bet those cakes are pretty delicious!

 


Get involved:

  1. Become a family sponsor and get to know children like Kathrine through some amazing personal connections.

*name changed for privacy

A Day We’ll Never Forget

 

January 12, 2010 is a day we’ll never forget. News reached the United States of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake hitting Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas of Haiti. Over the coming days, the world watched in horror as more and more people were dug out of crumbled buildings and the death toll continued to rise.

 

Every Haitian knew someone who was lost in the earthquake. Although LSM’s Home of Hope families were hours away in Les Cayes, many neighbors, friends and relatives had moved to Port-au-Prince, where they would never see be seen again.
earthquake 2

 

Joslyn* was in the epicenter—only four years old and living with her mother when the earthquake hit. The earth shook, buildings collapsed around her … and somewhere in the mayhem, she lost track of her. She screamed until she had no voice left. And finally, when her mother did not come, she sat, covered in concrete dust, watching in horror as the world around her seemingly fell apart.

 

Joslyn faced many challenges in the coming years because of the trauma she experienced that day.  

 

earthquake in Haiti

 

After the earthquake, a pastor’s wife found her and tracked down her father, who was still alive in Southwest Haiti. But her father wanted nothing to do with her. She ended up staying with an aunt who struggled to provide enough to feed her even a meager meal. By God’s grace, LSM staff found her and brought her into a Home of Hope family.

 

Seven years after the earthquake, Joselyn still remembers with startling clarity the night she lost everything she’d ever known. But it’s not the end of her story.

 

earthquake 1

 

We believe God can redeem not only her personal tragedy, but also millions of other Haitians who are still physically and emotionally recovering from the life-changing earthquake and the natural disasters since then. Through an outpouring of Christian love and support, we can help them pick up from the destruction and live with purpose.

 

It starts on your knees. Please remember to pray for the country of Haiti today as they, on the anniversary of that tragic day, remember all that was lost and, look towards the heavens to all that can be regained.

 

Please join us in leaving a prayer in the comments or sharing some of your experiences helping with the disaster relief in the months following the earthquake. We’d love to hear from you!