If you know me at all, you know I love to sing and I take great joy in the directive Paul gives the Ephesians in chapter 5 of his letter to them verses 19b and 20, “Sing and make music from your
heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) One of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns has the following first verse.

Come, ye thankful people, come,

raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

for our wants to be supplied;

come to God's own temple, come,

raise the song of harvest home.

In this season following Thanksgiving I am indeed grateful for so much that the Lord has given.
• I am thankful for a full recovery from Hepatitis A.
• I thank God for helping me lose over 50 pounds since May 2013.
• I am grateful for faithful supporters who have continued my financial, prayer and moral support
  during my recovery.
• I am blessed to have a home where I was able to recuperate and now, in which to serve.
• I am glad to have the ability to offer hospitality to friends and family.
• I am thankful that I can still serve HAFF and Haiti from the US in an administrative capacity doing     many of the HAFF stateside tasks necessary for HAFF to exist and carry out its mission
   ◦ Printing and sending donor receipts
   ◦ Producing the HAFF newsletter
   ◦ Maintaining the HAFF blog
   ◦ Preparing content for a new website for HAFF
   ◦ Providing perspective for the board.
   ◦ Being a sounding board for the staff.
   ◦ Guiding new staff through preparations and support raising
• I am also very thankful for the confidence and encouragement of my colleagues on the board and       staff.
   ◦ Past board president Bonnie Price has said that I am “an enormous resource for both the stateside         board and HAFF Haiti personnel” as I am “acquainted with HAFF people, programs and        
      projects.”
   ◦ HAFF Field missionary (and my colleague) Carla Wilson noted that I am, “ the exact person that        is answering our prayers for someone to work stateside for Haiti.”
   ◦ Board Treasurer and my Co-Administrator Teresa Nesman wrote, “it is clear that she has been            placed here at this time to fill a key role for HAFF that no one else could fill.”

In looking at all I have to be thankful for, I am also mindful that there is much for which I need prayer.
• There are continued health issues keeping me in the US.
   ◦ I have osteoarthritis in my left hip and need a hip replacement. That has not yet been scheduled.
   ◦ I am not sleeping properly, and the lack of sleep is resulting in fatigue and lack of concentration.
   ◦ I need insurance in order to continue medical testing and to get the hip replacement.
• While I have many faithful supporters, my support level has been dropping and I am making serious    inroads into my reserves at HAFF each month.
• I have taken on some new roles with HAFF as US administrator.
   ◦ I have established a Post Office box in State College to receive the HAFF mail and will then sort        and process the mail as it comes in.
   ◦ As donations come in for HAFF, I will be depositing them to a local bank and sending the                  information to the bookkeeper.
   ◦ I will be paying the few bills HAFF incurs and will be transferring funds to HAFF Haiti on a               monthly basis.

I am still considered by HAFF to be a missionary staff member. I will not be receiving pay from
HAFF for my work, but will continue to raise my own support, administered through HAFF to
enable me to serve HAFF and Haiti in this way, even once my health allows me to return to Haiti.

Current board president Rob Slaughter has graciously said that I have, “a wealth of knowledge and insight about HAFF and the local Haitians. She now brings that knowledge and insight to her new administrative U.S. role, for which she is uniquely qualified. I urge your continuing support to Connie.”

As you look back to Thanksgiving and as you celebrate with your family God's gift of His Son
this Christmas, please join me in thanking God for His many provisions and mercies. Please also join
me in praying for His will to be done in my life and work and in the life and work of HAFF.

Thank you for all your prayers and help.