Haiti Support Letter

Dear Friends & Family,

This has been a full year for the Gilmore family and it’s only June! As you all know Ericlee was laid off from Fresno Christian Schools in December. We were surprised but God certainly wasn’t and He has sustained us and provided for our family in ways we never imagined. Thank you for your words of encouragement and continued support during this season of our life. Ericlee has been working part-time as a substitute teacher, coach and personal trainer. Now he is teaching summer school classes through DeVry and Fresno Pacific universities. We are still praying for discernment about God’s long-term plans for our family and hope Ericlee will find something full-time by this fall.

On February 16, we welcomed our second daughter, Giada, into the world. We celebrated her birth in the same month our church, The Bridge, celebrates missions. This year the Bridge mission focus was on our beloved Haiti and raising money for three projects partnering with Christian Friendship Ministries. You may remember we went on a Vision Trip in March 2008 to help prepare for this Missions Month focus and to share Haiti with some of the leaders of our church. In February, God raised $113,000 through The Bridge. This money has been committed to a variety of projects, including construction of a new church building, seed money to start an orphanage, the purchase of two sugar cane machines for sustainable income for people in the church, digging of two wells to provide a water source for the community and even school supplies for the children. We were so thrilled to witness and participate in God’s plan for provision for this small ministry in Haiti started by Ericlee’s grandparents more than 60 years ago.

This summer we have the opportunity to continue our partnership with our friends in Haiti. We will host three mission teams from our church in Haiti. We will lead a Sports Camp ministry for the young people in Haiti July 10-18. Another team of people from The Bridge will come July 17-25 to help train the Haitians in Worship & Arts. Finally, July 24-August 1, a Construction Team will join us in Haiti to help with building projects to complete the orphanage in Pignon, which Christian Friendship Ministries hopes to open later this year. We are excited Dorina’s parents will be joining us for the first two weeks. Feel free to follow news here on our blog at www.alohagilmores.blogspot.com.

We are writing to ask for your partnership as we travel to Haiti once again. Your prayers are always a vital and priceless part of our ministry. Will you commit to praying for us July 10-August 1?

In His Grip,
Ericlee, Dorina, Meilani & Giada Gilmore