Student Spotlight: Marcellus's Story

Hello from Haiti! The past few months have been extremely busy as we have completed the present school year and have begun preparations for the start of the new school year. We have about 300 students registering to begin school in September. We are so thankful for all of our faithful partners who support our mission that enables us to accomplish his Kingdom work in Haiti! Thank You!

Mission work in Haiti is extremely difficult with many difficult days and obstacles along the way. However, our work can also be very fulfilling when one sees the positive impact on the lives of the young men and women in the community.

Hello! My name is Marcellus Dieulens. I graduated from PCMP school on July 11, 2023. I have a sad story to share, but I am glad the Lord changed my sadness to joy. I grew up in a very poor family, both financially and spiritually. My story begins with my mom who.as a very young woman, was not finding work in the Fontaine area where she lived. She was discouraged and decided to go to the larger city of Port-au-Prince to look for work and better opportunities. She found herself living on the streets of Port-au-Prince when a young man approached her offering her help. She was in dire circumstances and accepted his offer. A few months later, she became pregnant with this man and he left her never to be seen again. For the second time in her life, she was left to fend for herself on the streets. She was desperate, scared, alone and pregnant and the Lord laid it on her heart to make the difficult decision to return back home.

When she arrived back home, the people in the community showed her love and helped her with what little they had. Shortly after returning home, my mom gave birth to a baby boy, that was me! After my birth, I became very ill due to malnutrition and was taken to a witch doctor. This man took me and my mom into his home so she could be his slave wife. In her desperate situation the agreement was made that my mom would get rid of me as soon as she stopped breastfeeding me. She had to find a home for me, but stay to serve him. My mom took me to my grandmother who had to beg and do domestic work that helped me to be able to go to school. When I reached 8th grade, she could not support me any longer. At this time I also became very sick. God healed my sickness, but I was very worried because I had no one to help me or take care of me. At this time a lady who knew of my situation called Pastor Jude and explained my situation to him. After hearing about my situation, Pastor Jude kindly agreed to help me and has supported me for the past 5 years. This is one of the great gifts I received from PCMP. The best gift I received while attending PCMP school is coming to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I wish I could pen down more details, but my story would take the entire Newsletter. Thank you for letting me share my story with you. My life reminds me of this verse, " You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy. So, I will not be silent, I will sing praise to you, Lord, you are my God, I will give thanks forever" (Psalm 30:11-12)

Please pray for me,
Dieulens.

Dieulens' story is sad but emphasizes the very reason for the existence of the Philadelphia Christian School in Fontaine. When the Lord decided to place this school in a community where there was no Christian school, many of God's precious children were in the street without hope of an education. Our school brings hope and encouragement as it fulfills the promise of God to them. "I will not leave you as orphans' I will come to you." John 14:8. " God defends the cause fo the weak and fatherless: maintains the rights of the poor and oppressed" Isaiah 1:17.

Today, 27 years later, Philadelphia School continues to provide a Christ-centered education in the community. Through partnering with PCMP you are investing in the education of young lives and helping to break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter future for the community. To all of your faithful donors, we cannot thank you enough for your support!

School Updates

In our previous Newsletter we shared with you about the critical financial need our school was facing. We had to make a difficult decision to close the school or decide to move on by faith. Praise the Lord, he gave the Board members the discernment and strength to decide to move on by faith. God honored that decision. Through several very generous donors we were able to complete the full school year, without having to close early and we also have enough funds to begin the upcoming school year! We are so grateful to those who responded to our desperate need and we thank the Lord for His mercy,grace and providence in this situation. We covet your prayers for additional funding for the upcoming school year that will allow us to keep our schools open, provide students with the education they deserve, pay our faculty and staff, and continue to be a light for Jesus in the Fontaine community. "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19)

On July 11th we had a beautiful graduation ceremony for 30 graduating seniors! Parents and friends were very happy to see the students graduating from high school and ready to begin a new chapter in their life. However, graduation also brought mixed feelings among the students. The students are happy and proud of their accomplishments but for many their future remains uncertain. This gave me the opportunity to remind them that although we don't know what the future holds, we know who holds the future. "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. the are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a futrue and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

After the graduation ceremony, for the first time in our history, we took the students to a local restaurant to celebrate! Many of them have never been to a restaurant before! I wish I could find a way to share with you the joy they expressed! Their happiness was contagious as they laughed, told jokes and had fun together, It ended their day with joy that was shared by the restaurant staff! Praise the Lord!

Church Updates

PCMP hosted a Youth Conference in August for 4 days for young men and women who came from 4 different communities for teaching, encouragement from God's Word, socializing and fun. The main theme of the conference was Social Media's positive and negative influences on our lives. I was thankful that the Lord also brought Norb Metzler from Iowa to teach about developing a passion for God's Word. I was impressed with the attendees' interest in sharing their thoughts and ideas. In our culture, it can be difficult for young men and women to openly express themselves. I appreciated their participation during the teaching sessions. Please continue to pray for the Lord's work to continue in their hearts and lives.

Mission Trip in November

If you have an interest in joining a mission trip to Haiti, we are planning a trip for this October-November, Lord willing. We would love for you to join us and experience and see the mission of PCMP personally. Contact Karen Metzler at info@pcmphait.org if you would like more information.We potentially have a second trip planned in February 2024.

Sponsor a Child's Education

If you have a passion for helping children in Haiti receive a Christian education, you can make a difference in a child's life by sponsoring a child like Dieulens today!

We appreciate your support and partnership in our ministry in Haiti as we seek guidance and provision from God for our future. Thank you for your compassion towards the poor and your faithful prayers and generous donations that enable us to continue the work God has called us to do!

Gratefully,
Jude

To make an online donation to PCMP, click here.

If you prefer to donate by writing a check, you may mail your check to:
PCMP
9212 Timberwood Dr.
Johnston, Iowa 50131