Catching Up

My interview with WAYRadio will air THIS Saturday, May 3 at 8:30 AM (Eastern) and again on Sunday, May 4 at 8:30 PM. (Eastern) The program is called Conversations with Valmarie. No matter where you are in the world - you can listen!!!! Click the link to their site to listen LIVE and they also have an Ap for your phone or tablet!  Can't wait!!!!!

If you need back story about this - CLICK HERE. 

I'm so excited to see what God is going to do with this!

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Speaking of media - Jarod has been on the News team at school for the last 3 years.  He began in 6th grade at OPE and loved it.  He moved on to the Junior High School and continued learning.  Every few weeks the students rotate jobs so they get a good feel of all aspects of producing the news.   He feels that the Lord is leading him into some kind of media arts - possibly producing.

Right before Spring Break, his team took a field trip to one of our local stations here in Jacksonville.  Needless to say, Jarod had a blast getting to see everything behind the scenes.  And hamming it up with the Anchor before they went on the air for the 12:00 news.

In the past few years, our local High Schools have created different Academys that focus on different professions while you take your general classes as well.  Fleming Island High has a Television Production Academy and Jarod has wanted to go there but it is not the school that we are districted for.

There was an application process, along with a lottery and a lot of waiting and prayer.  We have always taken the kid's education very seriously.  Praying and seeking God for exactly where He wants them to be.  It's hard to believe that we are at that point where Jarod is beginning to think about his future as an adult and where God wants him to serve.  

Well, yesterday we received a letter that he had indeed been accepted into the program!  He was soooo very excited and we are thrilled as well.  We are so proud of him! 

I can't believe that he will be a Freshman in the fall.  How time has flown by.  I suddenly have this young "man" in my house and he won't be here much longer.  But!  We WON'T go there today.  We still have 4 years and a lot of training to do.  I'm actually looking forward to the High School years - kind of........

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On a completely different note - let's chat about Haiti!  

It's all come about rather quickly but I'm heading back!  So many exciting things have happened since my trip in February.  God is continuing to work and expand the areas of ministry within Apparent Project beyond jewelry production.

One of the new things that the Board has approved is a new Training Program.  This is so exciting!  It opens things up for us to begin training in the areas of literacy, computer skills, graphic design, typing, English, etc.  We have one student right now, kind of on a trial basis, to get our feet wet and he is doing well!  He is improving his English through Rosetta Stone and he is learning how to type.  Once those are in hand, he can move on to new areas on the computer.  We are so excited about the possibilities here!  It will give them so many more marketable skills which will lead to an even brighter future.  

The other new and exciting thing the Board has approved is the creation of a Daycare for the more "at risk," single moms at AP.   To learn more about that - CLICK HERE

This is just about ready to get started.  Shelley has a start date of May 5 - this Monday!  We are still in need of financial donations - both one time gifts and monthly!  If you are interested in helping to support this program, CLICK HERE and follow the links.

So, all of that to let you know that I will be returning to Haiti (via Lacey, WA for a Board Meeting) on June 4.  I will fly out to WA on May 31 and then Marilyn and I will arrive in Haiti on June 4.  On June 5 we will be joined by two ladies from my church who will help us with the start of the Daycare.

Joyce Bland - director of Hickory Grove Early Learning Center and her daughter, 

Erin Bland-Howard - director of Cove Learning Academy, will be joining us June 5 - 12

They will be training the nannies, educating the moms and helping with the administration side of things.   We are all so very excited!  This trip has come about very quickly (in the last 5 days) and everything is falling into place. 

Please pray for Joyce and Erin as they prepare.  Erin is having a Passport expedited - pray it gets here on time.  Also - pray for all of the financial stuff that comes along with a trip like this.  It's a very short time for all of us to come up with the money that is needed but we know that God has ordained this trip and He will provide!  If you are interested in helping in any way - please let me know.  You can email me at  Franklin4@truevine.net

Monnet and her new twins!

I am so excited to see ALL that God is going to do in and through us.  The education of both the nannies and the moms is so important as it will be greatly affecting/benefiting the next generation!

Thanks for your prayers!  I'll keep you updated - 

Until next time......