Mike Nichols is a member at Shepherd of the Hills located in West Bend, WI where he currently serves as worship board coordinator.  He is married to Dawn with two grown boys Zach and Noah.  Mike has been involved in mission trips both internationally and stateside.  Mike and his family are also founding members of Living Word Lutheran church in Waukesha WI.  Presently, he serves on the Southeastern Wisconsin district mission board.  Mike works for Quad Graphics as a Sr IT Manager and has been at Quad for over 30 years.  In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family.

Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti provides elementary and middle school education to more than 900 children in three orphanages and four impoverished neighborhoods in Haiti. These children desperately need God - and they need you. Please give generously on GivingTuesday. Your tax-deductible donation can change a child’s future!
"(Jesus) said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  Mark 10:1
Thank you, dear friend, for providing the gospel and the ability to read it to children in Haiti!

How to help support Branch Schools:
Online: Please visit our website’s “Donate” page to make a one-time or recurring donation via your credit card, bank account, or PayPal. Click the "Donate" button above.

By Check: Please make checks payable to: Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti, Inc., c/o Kathleen Menke, Treasurer, 1627 Dunlap Street N., Saint Paul, MN 55108

Thrivent Choice Dollars®: If you are a Thrivent member, consider directing your Thrivent Choice Dollars® to Branch Schools.  <="" span=""> Visit thrivent.com/thriventchoice to get started and select Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti Inc. as the organization.
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AmazonSmile: When you make purchases through the AmazonSmile program and designate Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti as your charity, the AmazonSmile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Branch Schools at no additional cost to you. Visit smile.amazon.com to set up your account and to track your impact. Remember to use AmazonSmile when shopping this Christmas season to increase the impact of your gift!

Questions: Please contact Kathleen Menke, Treasurer, at donate@branchlutheranschoolshaiti.org.

2101 Fairways Lane
Roseville MN 55113
United States
branchlutheranschoolshaiti.org
651-431-1183

Thank you!
Dear Friends of Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti,
 On November 2, 2019,  the 3rd Annual Christmas Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale was held at Mount Olive Lutheran in St. Paul, benefiting Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti, Inc.  I am very pleased to announce that over $4,500 was raised for “our kids” in Haiti.
 
I would like to thank the following churches and their craft sale organizers who so graciously donated hundreds of items and bake sale goodies for us to sell.

• *Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Croix Falls, WI, Kristine Blauert.
• *Salem Lutheran Church, Stillwater, MN, Janet and Jack Rider.
• *Trinity Lutheran Church, Osceola, WI, Jean and Harold Brown.
• *Peace Lutheran, Hartford, WI, Edie Ash.
• *St. Paul Lutheran Church, Cannon Falls, MN, Carolyn Baumann.
• *Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church, Fairmont, MN, Doris Rosener.
• *Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN, Linda Petersen and Pam Folkens (and 10 members who helped immensely the day of the sale).

 
Thanks to Thrivent Financial for once again granting start-up money for the ingredients for our lunch, bread-making supplies, and last-minute needs.
 
Another Craft Sale Coming December 7!
Thank you to Trinity Lutheran Church, Osceola, WI, for agreeing to host the 2019 Craft Sale – Part 2. The sale will be held at Trinity, 300 Seminole Avenue, 10:00 – 4:00, December 7.  There will be a huge variety of gift items, Christmas decorations, quilts and quilted items, baby and toddler items, unique nativity sets, etc., as well as bake sale goodies. There will also be lunch offered on-site for a free will donation.
 
Thank you to our dear Lord and Savior for making all of this possible, for supplying crafters, bakers, volunteers, financial donors, and many, many, many shoppers. Thank you to all who prayed for the success of the sale and especially for our over 900 students who attend our schools in Haiti, their teachers, directors and loved ones. Please continue to remember them as they are still struggling with political unrest and demonstrations in Haiti!
 
May God bless you all!!!!!                               Linda Petersen, Special Projects Coordinator, Branch Schools

​Dear Friends of Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti,
 
Today the children, teachers, orphanage directors, and national pastor in Haiti desperately need your prayers. Conditions in Haiti, which have always been difficult, are deteriorating. After months of protests intended to unseat the current president of Haiti, violence is intensifying.  As a result of the extreme danger and blockades, three of our schools have been unable to operate consistently. The school in Carrefour has been unable to hold classes for three weeks.  At least one of the orphanages is suffering food and water scarcity. Another major protest is taking place today, October 11. We’re asking you to join us in prayer for protection of the children and an end to violence.
 
Maybe you’ve read the news accounts. More likely, you haven’t - world news organizations rarely mention Haiti except on its darkest days. Sadly, today is one of those days. I encourage you to type “Haiti news today” in your search engine for breaking news.
 
God is richly blessing the Branch Schools ministry and, despite this crisis, we still anticipate another year of tremendous growth. More than 900 children are enrolled, an increase from 650 last year. We also raised funds to open a middle school in Pilate. At school, children are eagerly learning, they are safe, and they receive daily nutrition. Although many aid organizations have fled Haiti due to the violence, God has allowed us to become firmly rooted there with Haitian teachers, directors, administrator, and a Haitian national pastor as well as an excellent reputation for educational standards.
 
However, Branch Schools are not immune in this current time of suffering. Because banks are affected by the violence, September the funding for salaries, nutrition, and water, set to arrive in Haiti on September 26, has not reached the schools as of October 10. Banks are so far behind with money transfers, Time reports that, "cash transfers to some 37,000 people in need were postponed."
 
In times like this, it’s easy to feel helpless. Instead, we turn to the words of Isaiah, the same words we are sharing with our Haitian friends in our daily communication via mobile apps: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
 
God is still working in Haiti and so are we with the help of your prayers and gifts. When blockades lift, we are bracing to effectively meet the additional needs created by the crisis. Please remember the Branch Schools ministry in your prayers, including the orphans, orphanage directors, teachers, neighborhood children and their families, and Pastor Rona (the national pastor). We pray that unrest will end, no further violence and bloodshed will occur, that Branch Schools will reopen, food and water will be available, and the banking system will operate again. Above all, we pray the gospel will spread throughout Haiti. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

​Lee Petersen, Branch Schools Chairman

This just in from Special Projects Coordinator Linda Petersen!  We hope you can help.  Please reply to the blog, click on the contact button at the top of the page, or contact Linda directly at lkptrsn.lp@icloud.com. 

​With the addition of a fourth school and more than 900 students this year, let's make this our best Christmas Bazaar and Bake sale ever!