Minnehaha Funeral Home

with the little kids. Ask the question: What is the true purpose for the trip? Are we going to serve and equip them, or are we going to serve ourselves? I get it – you want to have your hands and feet in it, too. But sometimes we were creating projects for missionaries when there really wasn’t a project to be done. We almost had to serve them even though they were coming to serve us.”

She encouraged anyone who is thinking about taking a mission trip to read the book “When Helping Hurts,” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. The book says poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. “When Helping Hurts” shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. An example in the book describes a mission which provided ongoing donations of free eggs to a community in need. However, within a year, those donations had pushed all the local chicken farmers out of business. The book takes on the “white savior” complex and catalyzes the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out. Many members of the Rock Rapids community are supportive of Rosie’s Boutique by purchasing Haitian-made greeting cards, jewelry or mugs. It’s also a comfortable place to enjoy a cup of hot Haitian coffee. Three local churches have been especially generous in their support to the ministry: Tabernacle Baptist of George, First Reformed in Sheldon, and Sunnybrook in Sioux City. In addition, online sales are made to customers across the nation.

“God really established a beautiful foundation for our ministry,” Kayla said. “We are faithful with it, but His timing on when it was established and how we obtained a national and international presence from our shop in Haiti before today’s extreme unrest there shows God’s fingerprints are all over it.”

Rosie’s Boutique employs 30 Haitian women who hand-stitch greeting cards which are for sale online or at the store in Rock Rapids.

A variety of mugs made in Haiti are sold at Rosie’s Boutique.

Jewelry made by Haitian artisans is sold by Rosie’s Boutique.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Rosie’s Boutique/ Touch of Hope ministries 219 1st Avenue, Rock Rapids IA 712-472-2885 www.touchofhopehaiti.com www.rosiesboutiquehaiti.com

STORE HOURS:

Tuesday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Respectfully serving families for generations.

BALTIC | 180 St. Olaf Ave. 605.529.5411 COLTON | 205 East 4th St. 605.446.3246

DELL RAPIDS | 104 East 4th St. 605.428.4200 GARRETSON | 101 South Leslie Dr. 605.594.3700

KAYAKING ON LAKE ALVIN

PHOTO BY JON KLEMME.

YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHAT’S COMING NEXT WITH A LIFE ON THE FARM

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