Greetings from Haiti!
It’s all-squad month here in Haiti and the 41 of us are enjoying our time together on the Mission of Hope campus in Titanyen, Haiti.
Let me just go ahead and say it. I love everything about this place. A “logistical dream” is what I call it. 🙂
Having visited this country once before back in May of last year, I’ve had some exposure to the country and the culture. The country has been plagued with political violence for most of its history and having endured 4 tropical storms back-to-back in 2008 the country was left with a severely damaged transportation infrastructure and agriculture industry. Then in January 2010, the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti with the epicenter just 15km from the capitol of Port-Au-Prince. Now, over 6 years later, the country still struggles to recover.
Many of the people in Haiti have no source of income for their family and have grown accustomed to receiving handouts from relief organizations, who aren’t considering long-term sustainability of this country, its economy or its people.
Mission of Hope was founded in 1998 and is an organization following Jesus Christ, with the vision of bringing life transformation to every man, woman, and child in Haiti. They desire to serve the nation of Haiti and see lives changed. Their mission is to fulfill the vision in every endeavor they undertake by successfully executing on their five core Resolutions:
- Relational Proclamation – Intentionally modeling Christ’s love through relationships.
- Evangelistic Saturation – Repeatedly sharing the Gospel message in targeted geographies.
- Indigenous Mobilization – Strategically developing national leaders to carry the vision to the nation.
- Holistic Transformation – Continuously pursuing God’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual destiny for every man, woman, and child.
- Excellent Implementation – Responsibly utilizing all resources and talents to their fullest potential for God’s glory.
I could write a book about all of the endeavors MOH is a part of in this country to ensure its long-term sustainability, but instead let me just highlight 3.
1. Mwen Kapab, which is Creole for “I CAN!” So many people in Haiti say “I can’t. Because I’m Haitian.” The mentality is that they are automatically at a disadvantage, and therefore, won’t be able to do something or achieve their dreams. Mwen Kapab is the name of the Christ-centered curriculum MOH created to provide an excellent education with a focus on critical thinking skills and a Biblical worldview. It is used in all schools of Hope, as well as many other schools around Haiti. All the schools of Hope are taught by Haitians and the families are required to pay a certain amount of their education expenses so that they are investing in their own education and future, and not relying solely on sponsorship.
2. Center of Hope is a clinic located on the main campus of MOH and usually treats 70-100 patients each day! It is completely run by a team of Haitian doctors, pharmacists, lab techs, and nurses who serve the people of Haiti. All patients are required to pay for their visit to the clinic, which can then be put towards their medication or additional costs. It ensures that the individual takes ownership over their own health.
3. 3 Cords is a local business that employs Haitian men and women and empowers them to receive job training and strengthen their business skills while providing for their families and restoring communities. Check out their beautiful stuff!!! www.threecordshaiti.com All the proceeds from this business go to funding the prosthetics lab on the MOH campus. (Hopefully more on that in a future blog!)
Mission of Hope is host to many organizations and groups who partner with MOH, visit, and come along side what they are already doing here in Haiti!
Our squad’s primary role this month will be to serve the MOH ministry itself. Oftentimes with all these groups passing though, some of the “housekeeping” tasks get pushed aside. It will be our responsibility to put a fresh coat of paint on the orphanage buildings (inside and out), pour concrete at the new Grace House (assisted living facility) on their second campus and put a roof on the tech school they are finishing, which will then train Haitians in the community valuable trade skills. We will also have the opportunity to serve in the surrounding villages.
Like I said before, I could go on and on about this place! If you wish to know more, or how to partner with them, you can visit www.mohhaiti.org.
**Due to inconsistent internet access. Some blogs may be posted a while after originally written. 🙂
Also, here is the video they show us during our orientation that better describes their organization:
