ASAPH leaders are encouraging their students. We have set up a program to encourage students who are modeling good traits. Each month, ASAPH's coaches, teachers and committee members nominate several candidates for the Student Of The Month award. They then vote to select and honor one candidate from that list. To make the selection, they evaluate faithfulness, attitude, and the progress being made. 

The first two winners of the award were students who travel far to attend band practices.  The first winner walks over an hour from the mountains of Bassin Caiman to play trumpet in the ASAPH Brass Band. The second winner rides his motorcycle (and pays for gas) every Monday and Friday all the way from Lozandye to Pasbwadom.

ASAPH's leaders show respect for their students who are paying a price to learn. 

ASAPH is preparing a certificate and small gift (a T-shirt, or a poster) for each winner. Those gifts are made possible because people support ASAPH's ministry.  THANK YOU for being with us in the work we do! 


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Last Fall, the ASAPH administration began a program of encouragement for the young leaders who are developing at ASAPH. Andy, WEC, and Shelterline meet each month to select one leader among the teachers, coaches and committee members from across all of ASAPH's branches of ministry. That "Leader Of The Month" is evaluated according to three criteria...

1. Maturity (faithfulness, ponctuality, honesty...). 
2. Relationships with others (administration, students, fellow leaders...).
3. Accomplishments (successfully leading programs, progress...).

Our first Leader Of The Month was Mackendy. The ASAPH Bible Academy celebrated the Bible in a major program on Reformation Sunday. Mackendy led that successful celebration which will be an annual event. Teddy, Assistant Director of the ASAPH Brass Band and President of the band was the second Leader Of The Month. He led the band in preparing, organizing, and directing 4 major concerts in December. Anemson'n was chosen as Leader Of The Month after planning, organizing, and directing the student recital on February 28th. 

ASAPH leaders meet monthly to study the book of Nehemiah and to develop leadership awareness and skill. ASAPH's administration has seen real and practical improvement in the functioning of committees and groups after the leadership sessions began. Testimonies from several leaders have been even more encouraging. They site those leadership sessions as being valuable in their development as leaders. A couple of leaders credit ASAPH with helping them to become effective, mature leaders. One committee testified that lessons they learned in leadership sessions helped them to avoid ugly conflicts. 

ASAPH is about growth.  We are leading leaders and encouraging them as they grow!

Someone famous said that you will see the effectiveness of a leader in the people that he led.  ASAPH is proud of its leaders, and we celebrate them each month!   

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ASAPH STUDENT CONCERT:

Last night, ASAPH’s young music teachers directed their students in a fun and relaxed Friday evening concert on the pickleball court next door to ASAPH. This was the second year for the event.

LEADERSHIP: Because I am in the USA, planning and organizing fell to WEC, his wife, and about four or five young music teachers. Anemson’n, a recent high school graduate, took the lead in preparing for the event with the ASAPH administration. ASAPH leaders study a four-prong approach to project realization. We focus on 1) planning, 2) organizing, 3) directing, and 4) evaluating projects like this. In an early evaluation, we can say their work on this project was exceptional!

SUPPORT: Students, parents, and friends filled every chair available and stood around the pickleball court…proving strong community support for ASAPH’s music ministry.

ATMOSPHERE: The atmosphere was relaxed but positive. As is true in many concerts in Haiti, the entertainment goes on for hours. Along the way, you may see a few songs that ‘go crooked’, but you will always find true gems if you keep following along. Last night, there were some beautiful performances. Little kids shocked the crowd with their new abilities. Older students tried things they had never done…in front of a crowd. There was applause and also laughter. It was all encouraging and felt like an atmosphere where people are able to try new things.

DIRECTION: Canado and Dadou hosted the program as masters of the ceremony. Canado is a music teacher as well. He anchored the program as the “play-by-play” guy and did so with grace. Dadou is young man we call “the shadow”. He never wants to speak. He provided the “color commentary”. Last year I suggested him as MC almost as a joke, but to my surprise he accepted! He does a fine job, and the public recognizes the irony of Dadou “the shadow” holding a mic and addressing a crowd. Our community is good that way. ASAPH is all about helping people to grow! 

PROGRESS: I was obliged to watch via a live post. I saw young students of mine who played much better than when I left in December. I saw students who I don’t know well at all. They are students of my students, and they are growing without me.  That is a blessing to see.

WORK: An event like this is a huge amount of work beginning days before the event and lasting a few days after the event. WEC and the ASAPH team did everything necessary for success. It was touching to see the product via live video. That aspect alone (setting up equipment and making it work) is a huge amount of work.

BRANCH SUPPORT: ASAPH’s ministry includes several branches. Last night was the focus was the “music academy”. While they performed, the girls’ choir prepared and manned a food vending stand that added to the atmosphere. Leaders from other branches also gave time to event.

In conclusion, the February 28th concert was a great success. You can watch in on WEC’s Facebook account.

If you supported ASAPH last month (February), this is an event that you can feel great about. This is proof that your ASAPH dollars are on the ground making a difference in the lives of people in one small community on the Southern coast of Haiti. Thank you for being with us!




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