Inside view of Our House of Hope

I had to laugh this week when someone commented that they didn't think I needed financial support for my trip to Haiti since I was going to be living in a 14 room tropical "mansion". As I shook my head in disbelief, I realized that they had only seen a Facebook picture of the outside of Our House of Hope, so today I would like to share some pictures of the inside of our "mansion"  that Jim and Deb took when they picked up the keys last week.  

We do not have a stove or refrigerator in our kitchen yet, only lots of worn out, broken cabinets. We will be cooking on the burners of a camping stove. We look forward to the possibility of a microwave if we can get the electricity up and running. Thought you might like to see our current electric box.

Thanks to a hardworking mission team crew last week, we do have 2 bathrooms that have been repaired and will soon be functional with our cistern water supply, but the plumbing is a bit archaic and needs some serious work. We will now begin working on the other bathrooms in the house so that they will be ready for future teams. As you can see, it may take a while.

The house sat abandoned and neglected for years.  The 2010 earthquake did a lot of damage, and while our house has a sound foundation, there is lots of work to do repairing broken walls throughout the house.

We still have to build our bed frames, so we will be sleeping on air mattresses this trip. Jim promised to work on getting screens across my open windows this week to keep  the mosquitoes out. In the interim, I will be using a mosquito fogger and lots of Deet.

We look forward to offering our pool to the local pastors for weekly baptisms, but we have a lot of work to do cleaning out the filth and contaminated water before we can make that happen.

Okay, I think you get the picture.  This is definitely not a luxury vacation. It is a work of great love and dedication and we need your help. I ask for your prayers, financial support, and skills. If you are a plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter, construction worker, mason,  physician, nurse, dentist, chiropractor or hard worker - consider putting together a mission team and come join us for a week of joyous ministry.

Our hearts were encouraged as the first medical team held a clinic in Our House of Hope last week.  One day soon we hope they will return and be able to stay in the guest rooms.



 I can't wait to get to Haiti to get started on restoring this once beautiful house into a loving sanctuary for people eager to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti.    I will keep you updated on our progress through this blog.  I leave you with pictures of two of my favorite items in the house....a winding stairwell and a beautiful mural of an angel in the front hall.

Looking at these beautiful features gives me great hope as I cast a vision of what Our House of Hope will look like in one year as we celebrate our purchase of our ministry house.  How's that for positive thinking!

Thank you for your prayers, love and support.
I am standing on His Promises!   Love you. 

My Heart Returns to Haiti

Our House of Hope in Port au Prince, Haiti

                     My Return to Haiti
                            August 2012

I searched for my first entree on this blog, A Heart for Haiti,  and smiled as I read the emotional recap of my first visit to Haiti in September 2008. "Forever Changed"  best described my heart and mind.  Haiti's strong imprints on my heart and mind could not be washed away by time or distance.  Even then I knew that Haiti would somehow be an important part of my future; I just didn't know how important!  

I traveled to Haiti several times in 2008 and 2009, each time vowing to return with more resources.  I have raised relief funds and covered  my precious Haitian friends and missionaries through floods and earthquakes.  As a new doting grandmother, I honored a family promise not to travel back to this "disease ridden" country during my daughter's pregnancies and the critical first years of my granddaughters' lives.  As Lilah now prepares to celebrate her 3rd birthday and Sammi nears 16 months,  I have answered the cry of my heart to return to Haiti.  I have struggled with a restless spirit and intensely sought God's will for my life during this past year.  I long to feel on purpose and passionate in my service to God.  I have tried to create positions where I could "conveniently" use my gifts for God's glory, but everything felt like I was struggling to fit a square peg into a round hole.  I prayed for a clear path and wisdom, and God answered.

My brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Debbie Hambrick,  have served as full time missionaries since 1997. Last year they founded their own mission board entitled Until the Whole World Knows, http://www.untilthewholeworldknows.com.  They have prayed for an opportunity to open a Ministry Center in Haiti and God has now faithfully opened up the path to fulfill that dream.  Jim was in Haiti last week picking up the keys to Our House of Hope, a 14 room house in Port au Prince. The house has sat vacant for years and was damaged in the Fall earthquakes last year. UTWKK has signed a one year lease on this house with the intent to raise the $200,000 purchase price in the next 12 months.  After much prayer, I have decided to join my brother and his mission work in Haiti for the next year.  I am joining UTWWK as a full time missionary with primary responsibilities in fundraising and Mission Team training. I join Jim and Deb in Haiti on August 31st!  In preparation for this year in Haiti, I have given up my internet radio show, Rivers of Faith, which I have hosted for two years and am closing out my beautiful river home on the river in Colonial Beach VA. Letting go of the material possessions isn't as difficult as preparing to leave my beloved grandbabies, family and friends, but I have great peace that I am doing the right thing in following God's call to Haiti.  Jim says that this will not be a one year mission, but rather a lifetime commitment; Guess we will see what God has planned!

I will be responsible for raising my own funds for this year of Haiti mission work. If you would like to support me in this ministry, you can send a tax deductible contribution by clicking on our ministry website at www.utwwk.com/give/.  You can also reach that UTWWK contribution site through a link on my website at www.drtyson.com. If you prefer, you can make a check out to Until the Whole World Knows (be sure to mark the check for Donna Tyson support) and mail it to Until the Whole World Knows, 731 Duval Station Rd., Suite 107-281, Jacksonville, FL 32218.  I invite you to follow me as a FB friend - Donna Hambrick Tyson. My new email is donna@utwwk.com. Whew, that is a lot of information, but I want you to be able to stay in touch with me.


I am walking in faith that the funds will manifest as I follow God's call.  I am asking my friends and family to cover me and this project in prayer and love.  I also ask you to prayerfully consider assisting in the following ways:  1) make a one time contribution or regular deposit into my UTWKK mission account  2) invite me to make an inspiring mission presentation to your church and/or civic organization  3) come on a mission trip to help us with the massive home repairs and the start up of Our House of Hope ministry.   It is going to be an exciting year!  I can't wait to see what God has planned as we serve as his hands and feet with the beautiful Haitian people. I love you.  Mwen renmen ou.