How Can We Help More?

How Can We Help More?

Micro-Finance

Since we began going to Haiti, one of Shantia’s dreams has been to establish a program of small loans to start businesses—something that has worked well in other under-developed countries.  We were excited to discover that Alex, one of our young adult team members this year, is studying this very thing in grad school, and his professor has secured grant funds for such a project! Shantia set up a meeting with Pastor Ronel and Jutte (yoota), a short term missionary from Europe working with the Haitian Baptists as we are, and Alex so we could learn what  Pastor Ronel and she have already begun in this area.  A group of women are making and selling jewelry to raise funds for a chicken farm, and might be an ideal group to receive a modest loan.  This could be the beginning of something very exciting!

Assistant for an Overworked Leader

Pastor Ronel Mesidor has degrees in both law and theology, pastors his own church, works for the Haitian Baptist Convention, and oversees the convention’s programs in Port-au-Prince, including a day school, orphanage and nursing school.  He is the key person for
our work in Haiti, and he needs help!

Now that the chicken farm we built in January is up and running, he estimates that another 80 chickens might provide the income needed to hire a part time assistant—something that would strengthen this work greatly.  We’d like to help raise the $1,000 or so needed to make this happen.

University Scholarships

Haiti’s bright young adults need a future.  Some that we have come to know have done their part to prepare themselves but have reached a seeming dead end.  In the past, we have seen the benefits of scholarship programs in the Dominican Republic.  Could we help to make that happen here?

Transitional Housing for Older Orphans

As we have gotten to know—and fallen in love with—the children at the Source de Lumiere Orphanage, one of our team members has been holding a concern and forming a dream.  What will happen to these children as they grow up?  What would it take to provide support for them, and set up transitional housing as they move out of the orphanage in their high school years?  Pastor Ronel is very excited about this possibility.

 This is a longer term vision, but potentially a big and important one that David will take back to his church which is looking for a major mission project and even may be willing to commit to support a missionary for a year to establish this dream.

Discernment for 2014

Each year we give thanks for what we have been privileged to be part of in Haiti.  Each year, we look ahead, think, talk and pray about what might come next, trusting that the right projects will emerge, and the right people will respond to the invitation.  Twice this year, it seemed that we had just the people we needed to accomplish the work we had to do.  As Pastor Gary, our partner in New Orleans used to say, “God is good, all the time!”

 Our current plan is to offer two back to back weeks in Haiti next year.  March 22-29 will tentatively be a construction week of some kind, March 29-April 5 would be a week of medical clinics.  As always we would welcome folks to join us either week to conduct workshops with local people – educators, nurses, pediatric OT’s or PT’s, Child Life Specialists.  And general volunteers are very much needed too.

People may sign up for either week, or plan to stay for both weeks.  If you would like to be on our email list for news of upcoming trips, please let us know by writing to:  jonathanwg@gmail.com