Video: MSNBC Report on Lifechurch Orphanage in Haiti

MSNBC reporter Bill Dedman reports on the journey he had with the Lifechurch Haiti Response Team.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2009 Contribution Statements Are On The Way

Over the past couple weeks we have been working to organize, print and mail all contribution statements for tax-deductible donations made to Lemonade International in 2009. We wanted to let you know that all statements have been completed and mailed as of today, so you should expect to receive your statement in the mail within the next few days.

We want to thank everyone who donated in 2009. From the smallest amount to the largest contribution, all of you have combined significant efforts to make a huge impact in the lives of the children and families of La Limonada in Guatemala City.

For those who may need some guidance from the IRS on tax-deductible charitable contributions, here is a link to a page on the IRS website that can prove to be helpful:

IRS - Charitable Contributions

Thank you again for your generosity in 2009. We began work on our 2009 Annual Report and will be providing that to you by sometime in March at the latest. We are very excited about what 2010 has in store and will be sharing more of that with you as well.

We are grateful for your partnership as we pursue a calling to be a physical presence of God's love among the people of La Limonada and as we educate and empower children and families in the community!

-Cherie Cummings

PA Medical/Dental Team - A Week in La Limonada

The medical/dental group, led by our friend Nani, not only brought incredible gifts in what they provided for the children from their medical and dental expertise, but they brought so much love and joy to give away to this community. They treated approximately 80 children and their families each day, and also visited homes throughout the community delivering much needed food.

One of the men they treated on Monday waved them down in the street the next day, simply to relay the sentiments of, "thank you so much! I feel so much better now. God bless you." They joked that they've never had that kind of "follow-up appointment" with a patient before.

Each day, the team’s lunch break was spent with the families in the community, loving on them and praying over them. I've heard a few of the team members mentioning they never imagined that they could receive so much from those who have so little.

Many people come to La Limonada to serve the people of the ghetto with their abilities and talents, but are taken aback by how blessed they are in return. The unselfish servitude of those who willingly come to La Limonada is returned tenfold in gratefulness and love.

The Excitement Of A New School Year

It's probably a little strange for most of us to be thinking about January being the start of a new school year, but there is a certain excitement and anticipation that comes along with returning from break to another season of learning. It's no different for the children and teachers at the schools in La Limonada.

A few weeks into the new year and school is in full swing at both Escuelita Limon and Escuelita Mandarina... with new teaching materials, art projects, math lessons, sewing classes and so much more! And all of this is made possible by individuals and families here in the States who support our work through child sponsorship, teacher sponsorship and TEN2END.

It's our goal to help you feel as connected as possible to what is going on week to week at the schools and in La Limonada - even though so often it seems like it is a world apart. Because of our closeness to this community it is easy for us to know what an impact you are making. We want to make sure that you can see that as well.

Here are a few photos from Leah Craver documenting the last couple of weeks as the children settle into the new school year and a new season of learning that can help break the cycle of poverty in La Limonada.

We'll be posting photos of the children receiving their shoes, backpacks and school supplies soon!

Update: Haitian Orphans Relocated to New Facility

We are grateful for the response we received to our "Haiti Relief Fund" campaign over the past week. We raised a total of $3,405 - all of which is designated to help provide food, water, evacuation and relocation of 11 Orphans under the care of Lifechurch in Allentown, PA. Thank you for your generosity!

A second team arrived in Haiti Monday and helped to provide temporary relocation efforts for the children while long-term solutions and options are considered. For now, the children have been relocated to the Love A Child Orphanage about 40 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince.

Thank you for continuing to pray for these 11 children as well as our friends who are serving in Haiti. We will continue to follow the journey of these children and keep you posted on the progress of the relocation of the orphanage while we maintain our primary focus on the children and families of La Limonada in Guatemala City.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..." - James 1:27

Medical/Dental Team from PA in La Limonada

Our first group of 2010 has arrived in Guatemala and are already hard at work conducting a medical and dental clinic at the schools in La Limonada.

Nani, a Physician's Assistant from Allentown, PA and friend of Leah and Donnie, coordinated a group of friends and colleagues from work and has been working diligently over the past several months to coordinate the logistics on her end.

We're grateful for their patience as they are the first group to stay at our newly rented home - "The Lemonade House" - which will be used for long-term interns who are working in La Limonada and for short-term teams who travel to Guatemala through Lemonade International (more to come about The Lemonade House in a future blog post).

We are so grateful for this group and the skills they are putting to use with the children and their families. We'll update you more on their time in La Limonada later in the week.

Video & msnbc.com Blog Update on 11 Orphans

Watch video of Ramon Crespo, Missions Director from Lifechurch in Allentown, PA, explaining to the 11 orphan children the plan to evacuate and temporarily relocate them to a safe place outside Port-au-Prince.

Read the entire msnbc.com article here.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Go to the Lemonade International Donation Page to make a secure online donation to help with the relief, evacuation and relocation efforts for these 11 orphans.

All donations made to our "Haiti Relief Fund" will go directly toward the efforts of providing for these children.

Urgent: Haiti Relief Update - Continuing To Help 11 Orphans

This morning I had the opportunity to speak with my long-time friend and Lemonade International board member, Darian Colbert, before he left on a flight to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on their way to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

Darian is helping to lead a team of ten people from Lifechurch in Allentown, PA - which consists of three doctors (two surgeons and a pediatrician) and two nurses - which will be carrying much needed supplies and relief to 11 orphans as well as providing emergency medical assistance to those in desperate need. This is the second team from the church heading to Haiti in three days.

Read our intitial Haiti Relief Blog Post Here.

The 11 children have been displaced from their home which sustained foundational damage from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck and devastated a country which was already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. A team of five, including Pastors Randy Landis and Ramon Crespo, arrived on Friday to begin providing food and water to the children in the aftermath of the disaster.

The damage to the orphanage is extensive enough that the teams will combine efforts to explore options to evacuate the children to a village outside Port-Au-Prince and permanently relocate the facility. One option includes land given to the church to build a medical clinic in Pouly, Haiti - about a five hour drive from the capital. In the meantime the children, the workers and the team from the States are sleeping on beds outside the orphanage.

Lemonade International has a personal connection to these 11 children through Darian and our team member, Donnie Long, and we want to extend our gratitude to those who have already helped to provide about $1,500 in direct support for these children since Friday!

We continue to partner with Lifechurch to provide food and water as well as resources necessary to evacuate the children to a safe place. To make a secure online donation of $25, $50, $100 or more go our our Donation Page or click on the donate button below, then select the"Haiti Relief Fund".

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..." - James 1:27

Urgent: 11 Orphans in Haiti Need Your Help

Wednesday afternoon, a devastating earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.0, hit Haiti - the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The capital city of Port-au-Prince bore the brunt of the 7.0 magnitude quake, demolishing homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and orphanages.

The Haitian prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, said yesterday that several hundred thousand people may have died in Haiti's powerful earthquake.

It could be overwhelming to even consider ways to help in the midst of a tragedy like this. It is easy to be left wondering if your donations get to the people on the ground who need it most. But we know of 11 orphans who desperately could use your help.

Our friends at Lifechurch in Allentown, PA (where I served on staff for 12 years) run an orphanage in Port-au-Prince that one of our team members, Donnie Long, served at for several weeks in 2009. A team from the church is making their way to the Domincan Republic and will then be driving to the orphanage to personally deliver much needed supplies to the children there and to care for them in the wake of this disaster.

One of our board members, Darian Colbert, led a group of students from Lifechurch to serve at the orphanage last summer. The Lead Pastor of Lifechurch, Randy Landis, and his daughter spent Christmas at the orphanage with the children.

People on our team and people we are connected to know these children personally.

11 orphaned children and three workers are housed at the orphanage. As a result of the quake, the security wall surrounding the orphanage collapsed, but as of yesterday everyone was accounted for. But the children are left with very little access to food, water shelter and basic necessities.

While our primary focus is on the La Limonada community, and will continue to be, we also exist "to raise awareness and support for children caught in the cycle of poverty, to provide humanitarian aid, relief and education to children and families around the world" (from the Lemonade International Articles of Incorporation). Tita, our Board of Directors and our team in Guatemala are in full support of this effort.

We are working in partnership with Lifechurch with a goal to raise funds to provide relief for the 11 children at the orphanage - providing them with necessary items such as water, powdered milk, oatmeal and cereal bars. There is a possibility that the children will need to be evacuated and the orphanage relocated to a village outside of Port-au-Prince. The team from Lifechurch will assess the situation when they arrive in the country and allocate funds where needed most.

To make a secure online donation of $10, $50, $100 or more, go our our Donation Page or click on the donate button below, then select the "Haiti Relief Fund".

Thank you for helping to fulfill our mandate to be a physical presence of God's love in the world!

-Bill
_________________________

Bill Cummings
Lemonade International
Stateside Director

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..." - James 1:27

Back To School!

It is that time of year in Guatemala... the new school year has begun at the two schools in La Limonada!

Registration:

During registration last week, families began to line up at the door of the schools at 6:00am to make sure their children would be enrolled in their respective classes. And registration didn't officially begin until 8:30am!

At our new school, Escuelita Mandarina, many new children were registered - especially in the afternoon session. Throughout the day parents were knocking on the door and calling Tita's cell phone asking if there were job openings at the schools.

While the parents were getting their kids registered, the kids were standing in line with smiles on their faces waiting to come in to the school where they are loved and where they receive so much attention - knowing that they are going to be hugged, kissed, loved and fed.

It was awesome to see the teachers helping with registration and making final preparations in their classrooms. This year the two school psychologists will be employed full-time, with the primary responsibility of one-on-one counseling sessions with children who have experienced some of the most traumatic experiences - hunger, neglect, physical and sexual abuse.

First Day Of School:

Classes officially began on Monday. Children and teachers filled the classrooms ready for the new year ahead of them. As always each child was greeted with a hug and kiss as they entered the schools, and the day began with a healthy meal for each student. The dedicated teachers were prepared with lesson plans for each class. The younger children were excited to see newly donated games and puzzles in their classrooms... and the 2010 school year was off to a great start!

Tita said, "It's so good beginning another new school year, walking by faith. Our hearts are so happy, amazed and surprised to have so many people that are helping us to start the year with more than enough! We are so thankful to see how much people are with us!".

Thanks to the generosity of so many back in the States, all the teachers received bonuses, the children will be receiving school shoes and backpacks filled with school supplies by the end of this month, and the high school students were able to start a new school year at private schools in Guatemala City because of the scholarship donations provided.

We are excited for you to journey with us this year as we continue to be a physical presence of God's love and as we continue to "educate and empower the people of La Limonada". We are encouraged and blessed by your prayers and support for the work here in this community This would not be possible without you..

- The Lemonade International Guatemala Team

Featuring: One Day's Wages

As an organization we want to help to get the word out about other great groups who are making an impact around the world. So we'd like to introduce you to ODW...

ODW stands for One Day's Wages - a new non-profit organization just launched in 2009 by Eugene Cho and his wife, Minhee, from Seatttle, WA - who have been an incredible inspiration to me through their dedication and commitment to the work they are doing.

This risk-taking couple was inspired to start ODW after traveling and seeing for themselves the disparity in the world. They are driven by the belief that we have the capacity to end extreme global poverty.

ODW is an international grassroots movement dedicated to ending extreme global poverty. ODW promotes awareness, invites giving, and supports sustainable relief through partnerships, especially with smaller organizations in developing regions. Our vision is to change global issues ofinjustice affecting millions of people, regardless of race, culture, sex, age, or religion.

ODW inspires people around the world to simply donate one day’s wages, or any amount you wish to invest; and to renew that pledge monthly, quarterly or yearly on their birthdays.

Currently, ODW partners with three great organizations making a difference in the world:

Chaity:Water - ODW is raising $25,000 to come alongside a primary aged school in Ethiopia - providing clean safe drinking water for them.

HEAL:Africa - ODW is funding 250 Fresh Start Kits for women recovering from gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Not For Sale - ODW is funding and establishing one border center which includes safe houses, monitoring program, and other support services for girls in danger of being trafficked on the Nepal-India border.

So, when you give to ODW you are making a huge impact in the world by helping to do vital work - like providing people with safe, clean drinking water, providing safety for Congolese women and rescuing young girls from being sold into the commercial sex trade.

You have to check out the amazing work of One Day's Wages.... and consider giving one of your day's wages on your birthday this year!

The Movement of One Day's Wages from One Day's Wages on Vimeo.

Kerry Smith: International Worker Ready To Serve In La Limonada

Kerry Smith will be the third full-time international worker serving with Lemonade International in La Limonada. She leaves the Raleigh area this week to spend some time with family and will arrive in Guatemala on January 16, 2010.

For the first four weeks in Guatemala, Kerry will be attending Spanish language school in Antigua, Guatemala (about an hour from Guatemala City). She will then be joining the team to serve at the schools in La Limonada.

About Kerry Smith (in her own words):

I grew up in Middletown, CT and moved away from there when I was 22. I moved to Raleigh in 1996, then Iowa in 2000, and back to Raleigh in 2003.

I've always wanted to work and be a productive member of a community in a foreign country. Going to work with Tita and the team in La Limonada is literally a dream come true for me.

I have a younger sister and brother (Sara and Scott). My niece, Kassidy, is my favorite person in the world. I can't imagine what life will be like without her. I have another niece named Sophia. Sophia is the daughter of my oldest and best friend, Bonnie. Both of my nieces are going to be 3 this spring and neither of them call me by my actual name. Kassidy calls me Kiki, and Sophia calls me Auntie Dink (high school nickname).

My favorite color is purple. I wear a size 9 shoe. I love to knit, I find it relaxing. With the exception of my nieces, I think that I'm going to miss my car the most when in Guatemala. It's a 2004 purple PT Cruiser.

Favorite band: Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Favorite song: Toss-up between 'Kiss' by Prince and 'Mary Jane's Last Dance' by Tom Petty.
Guilty Pleasure Song: 'Play That Funky Music Whiteboy'.
Favorite Poet: Dorothy Parker.
Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride.

I like to have an hour alone at the end of every work day to talk to God.

My 36th birthday will be spent at language school in Antigua (January 22nd).

I believe that God has given me the gift of the year 2010 to live out my dreams. I have never been happier than I am today.

To support Kerry on this journey, go to our Donation Page and choose the "Support A Team Member" fund then select her name in the drop-down menu that appears.

You can also follow Kerry's journey through her blog.

The Teachers Receive Their Bonuses!

Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, we were able to pay 34 teachers and workers at both schools in La Limonada a fair wage for the month of December.

Just a few days ago they had a party and shared some special time together... and were provided with their bonus checks. The smiles on their faces are captivating!

The day the bonuses were distributed, Tita shared this with us:

"Today we had the honor and joy to give the bonus checks to the teachers. There was so much joy, happiness and thankfulness and surprises!!!!! There were also some tears too. One of the teachers was really crying and shared with me that last night she did not have any money for her kids for the next month, and she was asking God what was going to happen... and today she receive this!!!!!!"

They all wanted to extend their gratitude to you for your generosity.

Our goal this year is to increase the salaries of the teachers to reflect a fair wage in Guatemala City. By sponsoring a teacher you can not only help to provide one of them with this, but you can build a relationship with one of them and have an impact on their lives through prayer.

Go to www.lemonadeinternational.org and click on "The Schools" and "Who" then "Sponsor" to learn more.