 One thousand miles of rain. I have taken on many projects in my time with Voice of Angels, but few have caused me as much concern as my most recent endeavor. I started the eighteen hundred mile trip from Minnesota to Miami in our slightly modified 1996 70 passenger school bus. Of course there where no passenger at all, just me and roughly 12,000 pounds of shoes, clothing, and other essentials headed for Caroline’s House in Fon-De-Nèg Haiti. The trip started out very cold and wet, within a few miles I had figured out the heater, I had never needed it in my few short excursion around our area in Minnesota. The rain was another issue entirely. I had not anticipated taking on this drive in such adverse conditions. Driving something so large is quite different from my little car, complicated by the weather and the higher level of physical exertion this machine requires made this trip something more than I was prepared for. But with a little prayer, and mustering a little fortitude, the miles started to go by. The miles passed, the rain did not. There where short breaks in the weather from time to time but mostly rain, making it more difficult to see and requiring every ounce of my attention, with both hands firmly on the oversized steering wheel. I made my way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and most of the way through Tennessee before having trouble with the bus on a particularly steep incline on a detour through a mountain pass. One thousand miles from home, many miles to go, in a bus that would hardly move. This also was not in my plans. But when our God calls us to action he also provides a way. For me this came in the form of an unlikely couple, transplanted from the inner city of Chicago to the remote hills of southern Tennessee. Diesel mechanics by trade, but they are so much more. Over the next few hours as I shared my story and photos, and considered the next few steps, they came to know and love our little ones at Caroline’s House. Well I had to be in Haiti in two days, and the bus repair was going to take a little time, so I dropped the key in one hand as I shook the other, and with help from another neighbor, was off to the local airport. Now the bus is repaired by our new friends (I should say supporters) as the repair bill some how came out to zero!! Thank you Solid Rock Automotive in Trenton, Georgia! And God above all. A few weeks passed and I have now returned to Tennessee soon to see our friends and continue the long trek to Miami. With a thousand miles of rain behind and many uncertain miles ahead, we press on. Putting our faith in the one who called us to this work. I think this is how our God works. If we always knew ahead of time what we are facing would we still have the strength to follow him? I don’t know. Would I have been willing to start this journey if I knew I would be facing one thousand miles of rain? Perhaps not, but he calls us to this work and he gives us the strength to complete it (Philippians 1:6 ). So what’s next for our team at Voice of Angels? Many things I’m sure, but more then this I am sure that the one who has begun this work in us, will be faithful to complete it. The bus will leave Miami on a barge headed for Haiti on December 11th and should arrive about December 16th. Just in time for Christmas. *** We would like to thank all who have made this trip possible. Our good friends in Minnesota at Riverwood church and Maple Plain Community Church, and so many others, who have given so much of their time and resources. We would also like to thank our friends Shari and Bill of Rock Solid Diesel, God has touched their hearts for his little ones at Voice of Angels. Our friends have reached out to me, in a time of need, far from home and family, hungry and alone, to show God’s love. I know they share our heart, because this is also the goal at Caroline’s House. Steve Vanoss - Director of Voice of Angels Caroline's House, built by his hands, to serve his very own. 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com
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 I am sitting tonight as I do many nights, on the back steps of Caroline's House. I am lightly rocking our one year old Dalitia. The night is clear, Dalitia and I both looking deep into the Milky Way. The stars are far to many to count. As I consider the vastness of Gods creation my young companion reaches out to touch the stars. Clearly we have an entirely different perspective of the scale of what we are looking at. I know that our God, the creator of all this, has more love for this little one in my arms than all we can see in the night sky. Can our young Delitia understand this? I don't know, but from her own perspective, right now, I think she does.-- Steve Vanoss Serving His Very Own in Fon-De-Neg Haiti 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com
I am probably crazy to share this on our blog - but God willing, we are going to make this happen!! We anticipate the impact of these projects on the lives of Haitian children to be enormous.
Disclaimer: these projects are subject to change. Voice of Angels 2018 project estimates.
2019 projects
Caroline's House, built by his hands, to serve his very own. 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com  Ellie looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders and spoke very slowly “because you are mine, that’s why you matter to me”. This is My favorite quote from “You are Special” by Max Lucado. I read this book often to our little ones at Caroline’s House. That simple act of putting your hands on little shoulders and looking straight into their eyes, it says, listen carefully to what I am saying to you, I need you to understand my words. It’s what we do when we need our children to understand something important, we do this when we tell them they are loved, or for one who is hurting to let them know we understand. I experienced this myself recently, at a time when I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the many events and responsibilities I was dealing with for Voice of Angels and the long upcoming drive to Miami in the school bus we are sending to Caroline’s House. This happened when my good friend and pastor PK, in the middle of a very busy morning, turned to me, put both hands on my shoulders, looked straight into my eyes and said “We are with you”. How did he know I was struggling in that moment? Perhaps he didn’t. Now I have known this all along, my friends at Riverwood Church have been very supportive for a very long time. But the encouragement I felt hearing this again, so directly and so much from the heart, in God's timing I am sure, has given me the strength to continue this work regardless of any obstacles ahead. Venite and I would like to thank all our friends at Riverwood Church and Maple Plain Church, and so many others. We could not do this work without you. You share our love for these little ones and the Haitian people in our small mountainside village. Voice of Angels is a 501c3, faith-based non-profit based in Maple Plain, Minnesota serving the children of Fonds-Des-Negres, Haiti. Our orphanage currently serves 18 children and the work continues so that we may provide for others as needed. Our goal is to provide shelter, food, and education for children facing some of the most difficult circumstances in the world. We are bringing 10s of 1000s of pounds of clothing, shoes, as well as personal care supplies, tools, and vehicles to Haiti to provide for the children of Caroline’s House, our orphanage, as well as the needs of other children and families in our area.
 It’s a chilly morning as we navigate the narrow mountain road through southern Haiti. On the way to the airport for my return flight to Minnesota. Our trip started early because of the long and fairly slow travel. The sun is just beginning to show over the distant mountain tops. I’m holding three year old Betchina in my lap, that’s okay in Haiti, her mom is in the back seat with Venite happy to hand off this little one at least for a short time. I look at this precious little one in wonder. Have you ever just watched in fascination his most valuable and amazing work. (If you're a parent I know you have.) Her tiny hands so complex yet so simple. Her sweet smile, and what fabulous potential her future holds. For me these thoughts flood my mind. How blessed we are to be called to serve them. My heart has been touched more times than I can say, often with great joy, sometimes with overwhelming sadness, but always it seams to Gods glory, even if we struggle to see this at times. My lovely wife Venite shares my heart for this work, how blessed I am to be hers, and I know many others in Minnesota share our hearts for these little ones as well. Venite and I would like to invite all who feel called to be our guest and serve with us in Fon-De-Nèg Haiti. We have opportunities nearly every month for short term mission trips to Caroline's House. Venite and I both would be so blessed to share these experiences with others. Steve And Venite Serving His Very Own in Fon-De-Neg Haiti 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com
 Caroline's House is our orphanage in Haiti. It was built in 2016 and is currently adding two more floors to support many more children. Click HERE to learn more. IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN A WELL I would like to share a little story about something that happened at Caroline’s House this past week. After several days of drilling, our well was completed. It took a little more time for the pipes and wires and then the well was pumping clean clear water. A few days late, and a little over budget but ready to deliver all the water our little ones would need. I have said before that our work in Fon-De-Nèg is not really about the things we provide or the buildings we build, it is about showing God's love to His people in this mountainside village. These things are just tools we use to share this message. We knew this was a significant and important project for Caroline's House. But as we often experience, God’s plans are so much bigger than our own. That first day the well ran for several hours filling a large concrete tank that Venite’s brother had built. To our great surprise, or to mine anyway, the next day as the generator fired up to run the pump again.... neighbors began to arrive with jugs and buckets of every size. More and more came over the next two hours, and even more over the next few days. This well, and the life changing water it provides has been more blessing to more people than we could ever have imagined. But I believe our God knew this all along. I have often been amazed at the way our God shows us His own Glory even in something so simple as a hole in the ground and some pipes and wires. Steve Vanoss Serving His Very Own in Fon-De-Neg Haiti 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com   My name is Steve Vanoss. I would like to tell you a little bit about Caroline's House. To really understand our passion I believe you must first know a little bit about Caroline. I first met our sweet Caroline in December of 2015. She was about six months old, very small and malnourished. I say about six months because she had no birth certificate or any documentation at all. In fact her actual birth date was not recorded in any way. She is the child of a very young mother, ill-equipped to provide and care for herself and certainly not the needs of a small child as well. We were able to get Caroline and her mother the things they needed; regular diet, medical attention, and a safe place to stay. However. despite the efforts of many we lost Caroline only a few months later. She was a casualty of a very difficult environment. However, her short life she has served others as the inspiration for Caroline's House. Broken hearted of course, but we know our sweet Caroline is with the One who created her. In July of 2016, on a small piece of ground on a mountain side, not far from Fon-De-Nèg Haiti, we broke ground on Caroline's House. I believe God has called us to start this work... how far we will go I cannot say. He has called us to start, but not to stop. There are several projects in the plans: Caroline's House, of course. But also soon a guest house. And a church building. Not a church, we have a wonderful church.... we need a church building. And a bridge over the river on the narrow road that leads to Caroline's House. The work is not about bricks and mortar, not about tin and wires. It's about serving these children, about this community, and about showing God's love through ourselves and others who join us in his work at Caroline's House. Our desire is to provide a loving family environment not an institutional type upbringing. The children of Caroline's House attend a great school. They also have many friends in our neighborhood, they ride bikes with friends up and down our narrow lane and play soccer and other games in an open field not far away. We are so pleased to be able to provide for other needs in our area as well, like emergency supplies and employment opportunities. It is our hope, and we believe God's plan that Caroline's House would be a growing and vital part of this community, and his plan for his very own in Fon-De-Nèg Haiti. Steve Vanoss Caroline's House, built by his hands, to serve his very own. 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com It is a busy day here at Caroline's House.
The children are out of school for the summer but still seem to have much to do. The ladies are so busy taking care of the house and children, several men are working on a new well in the back yard. Venite has so many responsibilities but seems to have all this under control. I only arrived yesterday so I have spent much of the day reconnecting with many friends and family. I've actually spent many hours with four little ones that have come to our house very recently. Three are sisters, twins, Mainica, and Milove, (7 ) and baby sister Melissa ( 4 ) and our sweet eight year old Starlin. As we spend the afternoon together I consider many times why God has called us to be here, why do we build this house, why do these men dig this well, and why are these women working so hard? It is to care for these children of course, but isn't it so much more than this? For me these two questions fill my mind. How will they know how precious they are in God's eyes if we don't tell them? And how will they know how loved they are by the One who created them if we don't show them? I think on a deeper level that is what this work is all about. There's the mechanics of it of course, running a children's home on a mountainside far from home, the finances, logistics, all the planning. But Haiti, perhaps not much different than the US, is not an environment that naturally reinforces their value, and the difficult family circumstances that most of them come from does not speak to how much they are loved. Our calling, I believe, is about showing God's great love for these little ones and the great value he places on his most precious creation. So, who are They? For me and my family they are a small group of children on a mountainside not far from Fon-De-Nèg Haiti. For you "They" may be right in front of you. Whoever they are, these questions certainly remain the same. Steve Vanoss Serving His very own in Fon-De-Neg 612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti stevevanoss@gmail.com |
Steve vanossSteve runs Voice of Angels, a mission to the children of Haiti. Caroline’s House is an orphanage he founded in 2016 and is one of many projects he envisions to lift children out of desperation and into Hope. Archives
December 2018
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