ADELINE is a sweet, precious little girl. She loves to be silly, make funny faces, and just make others laugh along with her. This is a big contrast to her dark days of begging on the streets of Port-au-Prince. Today, she is finally able to be a little girl and not worry about surviving or providing for her family or even finding food for herself. She loves Jesus and is thankful for all He has done for her. She is learning God's Word and loves to sing songs of praise and worship. School is one of her favorite things to do. She enjoys learning and studies diligently. She also plays hard and has a true passion for life. Please pray for Adeline, that the Lord will continue to heal her heart and fill her with His life, love and grace.
CENDY is a precious little girl who has grown in so many ways since coming to Maison de Lumiere. She interacts well in school and is very smart. An active, healthy young girl, she loves to play on the swing set and with her dolls. All of the other girls act as her "big sisters" and love to watch over her. Please pray for Cindy as she continues to grow, that the Lord would heal her heart and she would come to know how much Jesus loves her.
CHABINE is a very smart, friendly girl with definite leadership skills. One of six children, Chabine grew up in a small village near Cap-Haitian in northern Haiti. At a young age, her father went to the Dominican Republic and never returned. This devastated her and her family. When it became too difficult, Chabine, her mother, brother moved to Port-au-Prince looking for other opportunities. Even though this pained her mother, they all ended up begging on the streets to survive. Her mother was happy when Chabine was invited to live at Maison de Lumiere and no longer have to risk her life on the streets in Port-au-Prince. Today, she is happily living at the girls' home where people love and care for her. She especially loves school and writing is her favorite pastime. She wants to be a teacher one day. Please pray for Chabine's continued healing and for her faith to grow as she seeks to be a woman of God.
CHEDLINE has seen much pain in her life. Her grandmother raised her since infancy, due to her mother's poor mental health. She came from a severely impoverished life in Cap Haitian where she often went days without food. When her grandmother could no longer take care of her, Chedline came to Port-au-Prince begging on the streets to survive. Despite her past, Chedline maintains a sweet disposition and gets along with everyone at the home. She loves studying God's Word and says she wants to be a seamstress when she grows up. Please pray that the Lord will continue to heal Chedline and that she will grow in her faith and into a Godly young woman.
CHERLEY is Mikerline's sister, our oldest resident at the girl's home. She, like her sister, was sent away at a very young age when her mother's boyfriend at the time decided that they should not live with them. Living with an aunt, she received money from her mother to attend school. One condition of her staying at the aunt's house was that she was to be the servant, or "restevec." Her aunt had a large house and Cherley was responsible for keeping it clean. At 8 years of age, that was a tremendous responsibility and a great deal of pressure. She came to Christ at a crusade and her new relationship with the Lord helped her endure her daily hardships. Today, she loves her new life, learning more about Jesus, and the opportunity to attend school. Please pray that Cherley would daily draw closer to the Lord.
CHERLINE is one of three sisters. Originally from northern Haiti, Cherline moved to Port-au-Prince with her mother and sisters as their farming-oriented subsistence became more difficult. When her mother became very ill, Cherline took to the streets to beg and collect enough money to send her mom to hospital. She lived in one of Port-au-Prince's worst slums called Cite Sole. She was able to collect enough money to get her mother medical care. Once her mother's health improved, her mother did not want Cherline begging on the street any longer. She approached Susette Manassero and asked if Cherline could live in the orphanage. Since coming to Maison de Lumiere, she has been very happy, loves school and hopes to one day be able to get a job and make money to help out her family. She loves all the girls and enjoys living in the home. Please pray that Cherline will grow into a Godly young woman who seeks to serve Christ to the fullest.
CHRISTELLA is one of our most recent additions to the Maison de Lumiere family. She had been living on the streets of Port-au-Prince for a number of years. Regular abuse, daily begging and scrounging around for food were her way of life. As she grew older, she began to fear the older boys on the street and tried to maintain a very low profile. She even cut her hair short and wore boys clothes to try to hide her gender. She took up residency in a street boys ministry to hide and protect herself. A friend of ours was involved in the ministry and was there when Crystella was found out and was being kicked out of the program. When we found out about Crystella's situation we felt horrible. We had no room in our girls home but did not want to see her forced back out on the streets so we took her in. This little girl, who would never smile when she first arrived, is now constantly grinning and laughing. She is so very happy to be safe and to have a new "family." Although a teenager, she tends to spend most of her time with the little girls playing dolls and such - trying to recapture the childhood she lost. Please pray for this very precious child -- that she would come to know and trust in her Heavenly Father who loves her more than she will ever know.
DAPHNE was brought to Maison de Lumiere by an aunt who had cared for her since both of her parents died. The aunt, who was very poor and had 7 children of her own, struggled to care for Daphne and could not adequately provide for her. Because she was malnourished, Daphne is very small for her age, weighing only 12 pounds when she arrived. She was very sad and withdrawn when she first arrived, but now she has blossomed and is well-loved by all the staff and other children. Please pray for her as she grows up, that she would learn to love and follow her Savior.
DENUITE has a twin brother and is one of eight children. At a young age, Denuite's mother died and her father, a poor farmer in northern Haiti, tried to take care of the kids. As survival became difficult, Denuite, her new step-mother, and three brothers came to the city to see if they could raise enough money to feed the family. Her mother was able to start selling cookies on the street but was robbed a number of times by street thugs. Denuite would beg, but would get injured and harassed by other street kids and could not earn much. She consistently walked in fear of others on the street, getting hit by cars or being shot at. Denuite finally feels free. She loves her school, her new home, being able to help out around the home, and all her new friends. She has a funny sense of humor and has been nicknamed Ti-Comic (little comedian) by the other kids at the home. Please pray for that Denuite would grow in her faith to become a committed woman of God.
ESTALINE is our newest and youngest addition to the girl's home. She was brought to us with her older brother, Yvenel, after their mother died suddenly of an asthma attack. All of our girls at the home instantly fell in love with her, and immediately began treating her like their little sister. She never ceases to make everyone laugh each day as her cute little personality becomes stronger each day.
ISGUERDA comes from a poor village in Northern Haiti and was begging on the streets of Port Au Prince before moving into Maison de Lumiere. She now loves living at the home. She loves the privilege of going to school and takes her studies very seriously. She especially likes math and excels in it. Isguerda has a soft, sweet spirit about her, and always has a smile. She is a leader amongst the girls. Her heart is full and grateful now that she has Jesus and His love; she is so thankful for what He has done for her and is growing in her knowledge of Him daily. Pray that her faith would continue to grow and her love for Jesus and her confidence of His love for her.
KATIANA is a beautiful and elegant young girl who came to Maison de Lumiere with her younger sister Katrina. She is a good big sister and you can often find her spending time with her or braiding her sister's hair. She enjoys school and studies hard. She is learning English quickly and also very knowledgeable about the Bible. She loves Bible class at the orphanage and will often raise her hand to answer a Bible fact or character question. She loves playing on the swing set or doing crafts. Please pray for her as she learns more about Jesus, that she will grow in His grace and love.
KATRINA is a special little girl who came to Maison de Lumiere with her sister Katiana. Although they both experienced some very difficult times in their lives, Katrina is always smiling and has a very sweet disposition. Very animated and active, her curious and outspoken nature makes her a lively part of any gathering. She loves to play with the other children and has energy to spare. We love Katrina and look forward to watching her grow up to be a Godly young woman. Please pray for her as she grows, that she will see and understand God's love for her.
LOVE-MITHA is a friendly and helpful girl who loves to play, especially with the younger kids. One of her favorite things to do is play with her dolls. Love-Mita and some of the other girls created their own little doll house up on top of the wooden play set in the orphanage's back yard. She is very imaginative and can keep herself entertained for hours by painting her nails, making beaded bracelets and necklaces, coloring or creating arts and crafts. She is a good helper at home and is always asking where she can be of service. She likes school and works hard on her homework. Also, she loves to sing worship songs and is a prayer warrior. Please pray for Love-Mita that she would know more of Jesus' love and grace for her.
MIKERLINE has had a very difficult life. When her mother's newest boyfriend at the time decided he did not want Mikerline and her sister Cherley living in the house, they were sent away. They lived with relatives who made them into family servants to earn their keep. Mikerline's entire life is one of being sent away to live with people who did not want her and would eventually throw her out. She and Cherley were homeless before they came to Maison de Lumiere where they were offered a safe refuge from the dangerous and abusive life they had known most of their lives. Mikerline is a quiet, soft spoken and mature young lady who desires to do what is right. She enjoys school and is a very good student. She is still learning about Jesus and the Bible. Please pray that she receives healing through her relationship with Jesus and that she grows in faith and love for him.
OLINE was one of the neighborhood children that Child Hope International sent to school through the education program. When we heard her mother was ill, we sought medical care and eventually hospitalization to help her. Unfortunately, Oline's mother died in the hospital leaving Oline alone. There were no other relatives available to care for her so she joined the girl's home. Since moving in, she has done remarkably well. She is a happy young girl and is adjusting well to her new home. All of the girls welcomed her in, and she has a lot of new best friends. Please pray for Oline that she would grow in her new faith and become a strong woman of God.
PHARA is Patrick's sister, one of the residents at the boy's home. Since she was very young, she lived with and helped her invalid, crippled mother. She would run to the market, carry things for her, and help her out around the house. There was not a lot of time to be a kid, and this was difficult for her. She tried to attend school at one point, but got an eye disease and had to quit school. Her mother asked that Phara be admitted to the home to give her a chance for a better life. Phara's older sister and another brother now care for their mother. She is a very sweet girl who loves her new life at the girl's home. She loves school and all her new friends at the orphanage. Please pray that Phara will grow in her new faith, and in her love for and knowledge of Jesus.
RENISE came to the streets of Port-au-Prince from northern Haiti, with her sister, to beg and raise money to help her poor family. Life on the street, however, turned out to be more difficult than she expected and she experienced much trauma. She used to regularly stutter, speaking only one word every few seconds when she got nervous or upset. She does not speak of specifics in her life or what she has experienced, claiming to have forgotten most of what occurred over the last few years. Today, she is very confident, and an outstanding student. For the last few years, she has been at the top of her class. She also has made many friends at school. She is a precious little girl who glows when someone hugs her and shows a true interest in her. Having a deep profound faith, she wants to one day dedicate her life to helping share Jesus with other children living on the streets. Please pray for her continued growth in the Lord and knowledge of His Word.
