Yet again God has provided for New Life Children’s Home way beyond our wildest dreams!

The second annual Hoedown for Haiti was on October 15, 2016. Tickets sold out just days before the event and we had a packed house of over 170 people! Our financial goal was $20,000. For those who attended last year you may remember we had a goal of $10,000 and brought in over $19,000 so we thought ‘Hey! Why don’t we double our goal!’ … So with this year’s goal was set and we had high hopes to have another successful fundraiser for the Children’s Home! Well, with only 3 weeks left before the event we were just barely at 50% of our goal had less than 100 tickets sold! Needless to say we (or really I should say I) were discouraged! But the week of the event phone calls flooded in for reservations and we sold out of tickets just days before! And with over 60 businesses/friends donating financial gifts and raffle prizes over $27,000 was brought in for New Life Children’s Home by the end of the event.

I know I say it all the time but it’s well worth repeating!

God is SO good people!!

We want to give a special shout out to our business financial sponsors Paul B Zimmerman, Inc., Rocky Ridge Auto, MN Zimmerman Company, Kevin’s Property Services, Graham’s Auto Sales & Services, Zartman Erosion Control Products, Ulrich Construction, and Keller Brothers Ford Lititz!! Thank you for your contributions!

We had an AWESOME meal including J.R.’s Brisket & BBQ chicken as well as Jill Zimmerman’s cupcakes and Delvin Huber’s ice cream for dessert! We want to say thank you to several kind local grocery stores for your gift cards that went toward our meal purchases! Sharp Shopper, Giant Grocery Ephrata, Shady Maple Farm Market, Yoder’s Country Market, Weavers Market, Ebenezer Groceries, & Weis Markets Ephrata we greatly appreciate your donation!

We had a TON of raffle prizes to choose from this year as local businesses and friends were so generous! So thank you to Rebekah Viola Photography, Janae Rose Photography, Dialogue Photography, LuLa Roe with Jenna & Lauren, Lil’ Loves Designs, Bee Still Crochet, Scratch Bakes, Janet Luta Massage, Goods Store, Bombergers, Black & Black Dental, Creekside Dental Group, Sight & Sound, Attractions Hair Salon in Lititz, Mary Kay with Crystal Weaver, Thiry One with Annette Bishop,  Federal Taphouse, Lancaster Brewing Company, Hursh’s Country Store, Mister Car Wash, DNA Weaponry, Asher’s Chocolates, Choice Fitness Denver, PA, The Coffee Station at Landis Valley, Brickerville House Restaurant, Royer’s Pharmacy, Heavenly Soaps and Scents, Reflections Restaurant, Esbenshade’s Greenhouses, Salon Art-Tiff, Muddy Creek Studio, Redner’s Markets, Stoner Decorating Center, Iron Pigs Lehigh Valley, Reading Fightin’ Phils, Martin’s Custom Butchering, Pellman Foods, Kerper’s Gun Shop, Julius Sturgis Pretzels, Aimee Weaver Designs!

We had such an awesome time hanging out with you all and LINE DANCING with DJ Boots & Nancy ! We feel incredibly blessed and are excited to share with you all that a cousin of Zacharie recently brought to us her God daughter (All children in Haiti have God parents).  Her name is Katelene and she is 8 years old. Both her parents have passed as well as her grandfather more recently, whom she was living with. We are devastated that a girl this young has experienced so much heartache in her short little life. Katelene spent time with Zacharie during his last trip this past summer and before he came back to the states he asked her if she would like to live with use at New Life Children’s Home. And she said yes! So Zacharie and I can now share that we have our first daughter and we can’t wait to get down to her in December. When we are in the states she will live with family until we are able to open the children’s home doors in late 2017 (Lord willing!)

So along with support for Katelene the funds raised at the Hoedown will go towards continued construction of the Children’s Home as well as toward construction of a multipurpose pavilion (mainly to be used as a cafeteria) and beds, benches, tables for the kids. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the ways you all have helped us rather it be financially or through prayer! We give all the glory to God! Our family will be traveling down in December for 3 months to continue the work. We ask for prayers of strength, protection and that God’s work will be done in Haiti – not our own.

And we also want to give one more shout out to our Hoedown Committee – Cindy Zimmerman, Gloria Chmiel, Trudi Keeport, Janice Horning, Jess Nolt, Mechelle Horning, Jill Zimmerman, Melissa Wagner, Delvin Huber… We could NOT have done this without your hard work!

Many Blessings to your families over the holiday season,

Zacharie & Stevie Estime

New Life Children’s Home Directors