Graduation Day Has Arrived!

This message is from Jean-Ronel Joseph, our dear friend, who will graduate tomorrow after a two year theological program in St Vincent. He has been away from his family and home in Haiti for two years. Ours has been a relationship and friendship of mutual support. We are very proud that Jean-Ronel was the first recipient of a Be the Power of One Higher Education Scholarship. Well done!

"DEAR GOD THANK YOU FOR THOSE GREAT PEOPLE YOU HAVE SOURRENDED US HERE AT WISE WITH, TO TEACH HOW TO LOVE YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE. IT HAS BEEN A HUGE BLESSING TO BE HAVING THIS WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE TO ACCUMULATE ALL THESE KNOWLEDGES HERE AT WISE. WE, AS THE FUTURE GRADUATES ARE SO THANKFUL TOWARDS YOU GOD AND ALSO THOSE GREAT, LOVING, KIND, GENTLE...PEOPLE.
WE HAD A LAST FUN WITH THEM TONIGHT, NOT ONLY THE FACULTY TOOK US TO A NICE HOTEL IN ST VINCENT FOR DINNER BUT ALSO WE HAD GREAT FUN WHEN WE CAME BACK WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS.
IT HAS BEEN A HUGE BLESSING, THE WORK IS NOT FINISH YET; HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE TO SPRINT TO THE FINISH LINE AS OUR HOMILETICS TEACHER WOULD SAY.
IN LIFE WE GRADUATE EVERYDAY SO, WE COUNT IN YOUR PRAY SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK IN OUR COUNTRY AND USE THOSE ACCUMULATING KNOWLEDGES FOR THE PROFIT OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM, BECAUSE HE IS RISEN AND THE TOMB IS EMPTY...WE ARE VICTORIOUS...
THANK YOU EACH AND EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT WHETHER BY PRAYER, FINANCIALLY... I INTEND TO CALL EVERYONE BY NAME TO SAY THANK YOU, BUT I REALIZE FACEBOOK WON'T HAVE ENOUGH PLACE FOR THAT. I KNOW WORDS CAN'T EXPRESS MY THANKFULNESS TO YOU, BUT I JUST WANNA TAKE THIS SPOT IN THIS JOYFUL MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL..
I LOVE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I REALLY ENJOY YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL...PHILIPPIANS 1:3-6

THE GRADUATES I LOVE YOU ALL THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE….."

3rd Annual Wine Tasting Event

We are so happy that once again this year Ray and Tammy from Westbrook Wine Farm and Anna Marie and Deb from Idle Hour Winery will be providing their award winning wines for our May 10th Wine Tasting Event as at the Queen's Inn in Oakhurst, CA. Thanks for the support! BTW, Westbrook Wine Farm was awarded "Winery of the Year" and Anna Marie dos Remedios, co-owner of Idle Hour Winery, "Winemaker of the Year" by the Madera Vintners Assoc. CONGRATULATIONS and well deserved. 

Last week we meet with Shelley Arnest of Taste of Soul to finalize the menu. What an awesome menu of Haitian and Caribbean delights. Shelley's family recipes will ensure that everyone enjoys a traditional taste of the islands. 
Ya man! 

This will be a fun, entertaining evening at the Queen's Inn beautiful riverside setting. Local musicians will entertain us, Taste of Soul will be providing tasty Haitian and Caribbean appetizers to ease your hunger and award winning wines from Westbrook and Idle Hour all guarantee an unforgettable evening. 

Suggested donation $25 per person. Be the Power of One is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization



Queen's Inn: http://www.queensinn.com
Westbrook Wine Farm: http://www.westbrookwinefarm.com
Idle Hour Winery: http://www.idlehourwinery.com

Here is a "save to date" message. We have just confirmed the date of our 3rd Annual Wine Tasting Event...this year to include Oakhurst's own South Gate Brews and amazing local musical talents. So you're all welcome, and encouraged, to join us Saturday May 10th at the Queen's Inn/Idle Hour Winery in Oakhurst, Ca. (www.QueensInn.com)

We will also have an amazing grand prize for our drawing at the May 10th Wine Tasting Event. Thank you Michael Ambrose for this incredible print!! All of Michael's work can be seen and purchased at Tenaya Lodge Yosemite…or won on May 10th. Tickets for the drawing will be available soon and at the event. Check out Michael's work at www.michaelambrose.com 

Michael working on location.

Yosemite Valley - Tunnel View

What a year it has been….

Be the Power of One 2013 Summary

As we come to the end of 2013 we look back on a year of reflection, growth, accomplishments and great joy. Our Board of Directors would like to thank you for the support and encouragement you have given to Be the Power of One this year. Your gifts have changed the lives of so many children and families.

Our annual trip in August gave us an opportunity to once again coordinate the summer program at Institution Vallee d'Adoration et Benediction in Pignon, Haiti. It is such a wonderfully exhausting week for us. By week’s end the program that includes school lessons, craft projects, singing and plenty of outdoor fun attracts more than 200 children a day. When the week concludes, craft supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, small toys and gifts are given to each student. We are also able to provide students a nutritious lunch each day. Your ongoing support and our fundraising events have allowed us to pledge funds that will cover 60% of the school expenses for 120 year round students.

 Spending time at the school gives us a chance to witness how the community well, drilled with Rotary support in 2011 by Haiti Outreach, continues to profoundly affect the entire community. With a source close by, women and children no longer have to walk long distances to provide water for their families. The well is also a social center were folks of all ages interact as they wait for their turn at the pump. We spent time with the founder and executive director at Haiti Outreach and look forward to working with them on larger water projects.

Jean-Ronel Joseph the recipient of our first “Higher Education Scholarship” continues to excel in his two-year theological program at the Windward School of Evangelism in St Vincent. After graduating this coming April he will return to Haiti, and we look forward to having Jean-Ronel as our primary contact there. His English skills will quickly prove invaluable. We are so proud of his accomplishments and know that his hard work has changed his entire family’s future. Now we start the application and interview process for our next scholar.

Looking forward to 2014 we know we have our work cut out for us. We have committed in principle to partnering with Haiti Outreach in drilling five more community wells, a number of high school graduates have approached us regarding college scholarships and we are exploring opportunities to support other schools.                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                 These are ambitious goals for Be the Power of One.

Your support and encouragement will make this all possible. The work of Be the Power of One has already changed so many lives and 2014 is the year to step it up! As you make your year end contributions please consider an additional gift to Be the Power of One. Every dollar makes a huge impact in Haiti and 97% of each dollar goes directly to program expenses.

Please feel free to call with any questions. As always we welcome any opportunity to speak to your friends, churches or service clubs.

First Higher Education Scholar Nears Program Completion

Nearly two years ago Jean-Ronel Joseph received Be the Power of One's first scholarship to attend a college or university program. Jean-Ronel applied and was accepted to attend the West Indies School of Evangelism (WISE) for their two year Associates Degree in Theology. He has been an outstanding student in his theological studies as well as the English and computer programs. Jean-Ronel has helped us from day one with our work in Pignon and we are so proud of his accomplishments. His hard work has changed his life and will continue to have a positive effect on his community and his entire family tree. The positive rippling effects of his work are incalculable.

Headed towards a spring 2014 graduation Jean-Ronel has asked for some final financial support as he transitions from student to community leader. Below is a copy of a recent letter from Jean stating his gratitude and needed support. Please consider partnering with us in supporting this final step in Jean-Ronel's education. Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated and will be well used. Donations using PayPal can be made at the "How You Can Help" page or mailed to Be the Power of One, Post Office Box 1636, Oakhurst, CA 93644.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!!

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that you and your surroundings are doing magnificently great in the Lord.

I wanted to take this time to thank you (Tim), Susan and the board of Be the power of One for what you have been doing in my community (Pignon) which is extremely useful to me particularly. Thank you for your generosity, specifically your prayers, your financial support, and also being involved in my learning of God’s words at every standpoint here at WISE. To be honest this is like a pipe dream come true to me, and it tastes really palatable to my soul, arm and body. I feel like God is moving in my life by putting you all guys by my sides the same as He did for Timothy by putting Apostle Paul on his side to support him throughout his ministry.

I know it is not an easy task brother, but your reward is not going to be an earthly reward but a heavenly eternal reward (Mark 9:41); this passage of scripture says you cannot lose whatever you do for someone who is belong to Christ. As I have told you in our small conversation about some of the things that I am going to be in need of, in my preparation not only for graduation, but also in my heading to home sooner. Here are the needs that I would love you to see in what ways you can help provide with…The ticket = $ 246 USD, 4 long shirt sleeves including a white one with a red tie for graduation to put under the garment ($25 each) ; 4 dress slacks ($30); a pair of Dressing shoes ($60); a pair of sneakers ($35), a luggage for books and notebooks ($50), and the last of all is a 4GB jump drive($25).

Thank you again my brother for your loving-kindness and your passion to help those who are in need; Remember even if you’re doing what is good for God’s glory but that can happen you cope with hardship sometimes but notice if God is pleased with what you’re doing who can be against you?( Romans 8:31), the answer is no one."    

July 2013 Trip Summary

This is the fourth trip that we have made to Pignon, Haiti and we will forever have our hearts and souls connected to the country and our friends who live there.

For a week in July, with the help of eight Haitian friends and Destany Morgan from Coarsegold, we put on a summer program for the children of the community. As in past years this program was at the Vallee d’Adoration et Benediction (Valley of Adoration and Benediction) Elementary School in Pignon. The entire program is done in a single 20’ X 30’ classroom with no air conditioning and minimal ventilation. Along with singing both Creole and English songs (the Hokey-Pokey is still a favorite), creating craft projects (including edible bracelets made with licorice whips and Fruit Loops) and Bible stories there was plenty of outdoor recreation. Being outdoors gives the kids time to burn off some of their apparently unlimited energy as well as give us a chance to catch our breaths. The week typically starts with about 100 kids and by the end of the week that number has grown to over 250. We try to arrange lunches each day and on Friday we give each student a toothbrush and toothpaste along with some small gifts. The news of lunches and gifts spreads throughout the community and as a result this year we hit a record of 292 kids on Friday. It was a madhouse and lots of fun. The week is not only fun for the kids it gives parents a break knowing that their children will be well supervised and entertained. We feel blessed to have the energy, support and encouragement to continue this program.

We also worked on some long term planning issues for future efforts in Haiti. Included in this was setting up an account for the school at the Fonkoze Bank in Pignon. Fonkoze is an international organization that provides banking services in developing countries. This account will allow us to deposit money directly into the school account without going through Pastor Carsel’s church in Florida. It will also allow us to track expenditures. When we make these trips we typically stay in a Haitian family’s home. This can present a number of challenges including lack of running water and electricity, communication barriers and inconvenience for the host families. While we have chosen to accept these challenges as part of the experience we are not comfortable asking others to do the same. Since we have a number of friends and family who would like to make a trip to Haiti and not face as many challenges, we spent our last night in the guesthouse at Haiti Outreach -http://www.haitioutreach.org . It was a treat for us and the perfect spot to house others making future trips. The guesthouse has hot and cold running water, electricity, flush toilets, internet and offers three meals a day. Future trips will be housed at Haiti Outreach. The time we spend with Haiti Outreach Founder, Neil Van Dine, and Executive Director Dale Snyder was invaluable. Each has over 20 years of working, and in Neil’s case living, in Haiti. They shared their experiences, past mistakes and cultural insights with us. We felt like this information took years off our learning curve. We look forward to making a clear and ambitious commitment to working with Haiti Outreach on some larger countrywide programs. It was inspiring to spend time with them.

As always we are happy to be back. We feel grateful each and every day for the abundance and comforts we enjoy at home. These trips have had such a positive effect on our lives and those of our family and friends. Every trip we learn more about ourselves and what is important in living a life that benefits the greater good.

We are very blessed.  

  

May 3rd Wine Tasting a HUGE Success

What an event it was last Friday night!! All the work, all the effort and all the worry was well worth it. We are recuperating some now as we wrap up the event and look towards the 3rd Annual Wine Tasting.

For everyone who made the event, "thank you" for being there and thanks to those of you who were unable to attend yet supported us through pre-event sales. It would not have been nearly as successful without Casey and Alyssa Lucas making Cool Bean Cafe available to us. Thanks guys!!! Support from our three winery partners; Idle Hour (http://www.idlehourwinery.com), Westbrook Wine Farm (http://www.westbrookwinefarm.com) and Fasi Estate (http://www.fasiestate.com) once again went way beyond the call of duty. Thanks to Deb and Anna from Idle Hour as well as Jane from Fasi Estate for being such gracious pourers. We all enjoyed the amazing appetizers from the YHS Culinary students (thanks Dena Bortz!!) and a taste of the Caribbean from "Taste of Soul" (thanks Shellie and Chantel !!). A big "well done" to students from Minarets High's advanced media program for cramming to get the first cut of our new video ready for sharing last night. It was a nice touch! Courntey Lynn's illustration was a classy touch that shined as a print and on our t-shirts. We blew it by not having more prints of the popular illustration. We'll get more printed.

And finally, thanks to our friend Noella for handling all the check-in and money duties. Her work freed a lot of brain space for us.

In every way the success of the 2nd Annual Wine Tasting Event exceeded our expectations and we have all of you to thank for that. The support and encouragement that Susan and I get from events like this truly touches our hearts. Be the Power of One will net somewhere in the neighborhood of $2800 from last Friday's event. We feel very blessed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!