I just find this sign ironic! a little humor this morning! But, in all seriousness, please pray for all those affected by, now what is Hurricane Isaac, no longer a tropical storm I understand. I have dear friends who I've met through my mission trips to Biloxi, MS for Katrina and Madison, AL for the Tornado clean-up, who will be affected once again by tremendous weather. Praying for you, Miss Jen Jones and Miss Nancy, Mr. Owen, and all my other loved ones.

Quick note: some of you are asking about phoning me in Haiti. My U.S. phone number will not allow voicemail in Haiti, so if you call, please do not leave a voicemail, as I will not receive it. Please Skype, or comment on this blog, or facebook me. That being said, all this technology will be dependent on my internet working!!

It's three days and counting, until I leave for Columbus for Haiti COCINA's first annual fundraiser. If you haven't signed up to attend, you still can. please see previous posts from me (scroll down!).

Some of you have inquired about makeing automatic withdrawal payments from your checking account. Here is how you can do that:

Go to ccchapel.com.

Click on give tab in upper right hand of screen.

Click on online giving tab in middle of screen.

Scroll down to recurring gifts and then click on this form.

 You will print out the form, fill it in, and return it to CCC. Please make sure "LEWIS 12-HAITI" is written on the form, as there are three or more Haiti ministries connected with the church.

With that said, I want to thank you for your  prayerful, spiritual, and financial partnership. I am so excited to work for the Lord, for these young people and this nation. With God going before you, YOU make this happen! God richly bless and keep you as we are apart; only apart by water, but together in Spirit!

Keep checking the blog, as when the internet is working, I'll be posting updates. And, if you Skype, request me as a contact: either search by marylee.lewis1 OR Marylee Lewis.

Here's a photo of Beautiful Haiti:

Christel and her family are hosting Marline and Rose-Dania this week. What fun everyone is having!
Yesterday I got to meet up with them for filming the girls for the promotional DVD that is being produced to promote our high school graduate placement program. The girls did a fabulous job in front of the camera! So excited to share the finished product in the future. Thank you so much, Bronek! What a blessing you are to our ministry!

The gal who will be renting my condo came by last night to measure, discuss logistics, etc, and also decided what needs to move on from our lives. From my life I have the following for immediate sale:
1 gas grill $25.00
1 72 x 32" rattan sofa $50.00
1 57 x 37" desk $50.00
Please contact me by commenting to this post if you are interested in purchasing any of these items. Thank you so much!

Prior to that meeting, I had a lovely dinner with The Brown family. The artist, Nichol Brown, was the artist at my fundraiser in July. Nichol has offered, in her generosity, to extend any purchases made, on her website, to continue to support me even though the fundraising event is over: www.nicholbrown.com. Thank you so, so much, Nichol!

Rose-Dania and Marline on top of the Empire State Building. They not only got to see tall buildings they got to go up in one today. Thank you Barb and Dana!

As of Saturday it didn't look good about shipping my car with household contents and supplies for the school, because NO contents are allowed in vehicles shipping to Cap Haitian. I shared the dilemma with my friend, Dale, and voila, the man knows the right people! He got me in touch with a shipping company that is working out the details; it looks like we will need to separate the contents from the car, but they will be able to be shipped too, and right here from Akron, Ohio. Hopefully all will be booked tomorrow, so I can move on to the next "departure project".Thank you Dale!

I organized my I.U. briefcase tonight over a pot of hot and spicy seafood soup from Thai Gourmet. It is MY remedy for sinus and cold issues, of which I have come down with a cold this weekend. Of course, after that I am feeling stronger, hence the blog update instead of bed!
I have lots of people to contact still before I leave. If you are interested in having me speak at your church or sunday school class to present our story and seek host families for the college students, please get in touch with me, so we can get that on the calendar in December or January. I will be available weeknights too, to meet with your small groups. Thank you for thinking about us!

Dream come true. The girls wanted to see "big, tall buildings" so host family Dana and Barb did just that, took them to NYC for the weekend!
Amazing time thus far with the host families, and more to come. Thank you Linda and her family, Dana and Barb and their family, and Christel and her family, and all the donors to this experience, too!

Just received this amazing photo of the 7th grade ESL students at Cedar Point with Linda and her family - check out those faces!!

CELEBRATE COCINA - A Beacon of Light in Ouanaminthe, Haiti

1st Annual Haiti COCINA Gala - September 1, 2012 6:00pm

 at The Church at Mill Run, 3500 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026

$50 per person ($30 tax deductible) OR table of 10 - $450
RSVP and payment to Jan Iannetta,  841 Stonewater Drive, Kent, OH 44240,

 BY AUGUST 25.
Hotel Discounts - mention COCINA - by August 15 to Homewood Suites 614.529.4100 or Comfort Suites 614.529.8118
Silent Auction: Cash or check only please
Auction Item donation: contact Jan - janice.iannetta@yahoo.com

Back from a week in Muskoka, Canada with family and friends. Such a wonderful, enjoyable time, and perfect way to mentally prepare for the month before me. Three weeks and counting until I depart. breathe, marylee, breathe!
A quick story to share: before departing for canada, I was at Towpath Tennis Club. Interestingly, I had purchased a tennis lesson package at the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy Annual Auction (CVCA) a couple years ago, and every time I thought about the timing to take my lessons it just didn't work out. Then in June, I realized I HAD to take them now, as I'm departing for Haiti soon. While at the club on July 28, I was telling the owners, Nancy and Dallas, about my work in Haiti, and mentioned if they had a old net to keep I.U. in mind. We have a volleyball/basketball/tennis comination court on the school grounds. Their daughter had taken a trip to I.U. on a mission trip some years ago with CVCA, so they are familiar with the school and ministry. Anyhow, before I knew it, they provided me with a beautiful net and boxes of tennis balls to take with me. And, Nancy suggested me running tennis clinics with the children with my new found skills, just coming off lessons. Absolutely!
As I departed the club I was jumping off my car seat for joy. To think that if I would have taken the lessons at any other time, this would not have made the impact it will now make at the school. God's perfect timing!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Nancy and Dallas, for your generosity and partnership with I.U.
All for His glory!

The 7th graders, Rose-Dania and Marlyne arrived in the Akron area safely and are having a wonderful experience! Here's some photos of Rose, staying with Linda this week: