My whole squad is together this month! We are working with Mission of Hope (mohhaiti.org) and staying at their site. The main campus is located in Titanyen which in Creole means “less than nothing.” It is a cool story how this ministry got started and it is amazing how God redeemed the land that was deemed worthless and He has been using it to further the Kingdom and to love on His children in some unmeasurable ways! You can watch this introductory video to learn more (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAn6pSR7TKU).
Additionally, I have an amazing teammate who has a way with words. Nicole wrote the following description of what MOH is about, and with her permission, I have simply copied the words from her blog titled “Life Transformation is Happening in Haiti:”
They guide themselves with the following vision statement:
As an organization following Jesus Christ, Mission of Hope exists to bring life transformation to every man, woman and child in Haiti. We desire to serve the nation of Haiti, and see lives changed.
Since being founded in 1998, Mission of Hope has since partnered with other organizations and expanded in an abundance of ways to serve local villages through education, healthcare, agriculture, nutrition and community development programs. Here on the Main Campus alone (where I am staying) there is housing for 42 orphans, a transition home for the young adults who are no longer a part of the orphanage, a school where children are fed and given a Christ-centered education, a church open to the public, and a medical clinic. Their precision in understanding and caring for the Haitian people has impressed me so much, especially in regard to their focus on what they call “indigenous mobilization.” Mission of Hope knows that if they do not focus on empowering the people of Haiti then they will only be putting a band-aid on the country’s deeper rooted issues. They focus wholeheartedly on empowering the people with critical thinking skills, opportunities and an improved sense of self-efficacy that allows the Haitian people to take ownership over the organization and the ministry that God is doing in their country. North American teams, like mine, are simply here to help speed to process along.
What my squad has been doing:
Short-term mission teams typically stay for one week, and we have met many teams since we have been here. It has been refreshing to interact with other Americans and speak English regularly 😉 MOH keeps track of their projects and needs and when teams stay for one week, they focus on the more pressing/immediate needs and ministry opportunities. Because our group has stayed for a month, they needed our help to catch up on the “less exciting” tasks that kept getting pushed to the bottom of their priority list. Our group was ready to help immediately!
Day 1, some of my squad mates and I were cutting tall, desert grass with a dull machete to clean up around the MOH orphanage playground. I can tell you with certainty that I will never again take a lawnmower for granted – I can think of how I had to grab a handful of grass and chop at it under my hand until it gave way. The sun was hot that day, but seeing the final product was absolutely worth it!
Two days during our first week we arrived at the construction site of a new assisted living home. At least 20 Haitian men were already at mixing concrete, filling wheel barrows, and laying the foundation for the new kitchen/cafeteria area. We had about 20 white girls walk up, and I am sure the men were curious how we were going to help. We began passing half-filled buckets of concrete down an assembly line to the final destination and it was hard work! The buckets were heavy, concrete was everywhere, and we all had quite a few scratches from the partially dried edges quickly gliding across our arms. Together, we all completed the foundation of the building. I know it will bless many people in the years to come!
Additionally, the plumbing from the water tower to the new buildings was completed. We were asked to shovel dirt to fill in the ditch where the plumbing was established. Below is a photo of our new friend Jokaief, and behind him is a glimpse into that project.
Sometimes we had the privilege to leave the MOH campus, put on our skirts, and hop on a bus to engage in Strategic Village Time (SVT). We helped plant fruit trees for individual families, delivered goats to some families, and engaged with all of the local children! We shared the Gospel, prayed for people, and learned about their lives. We played the hand slap game, duck-duck-goose, and “which hand is the rock in” games. I even had my hair braided by about 4 or 5 girls at one time. They were so excited and pulled my head in every direction. I have included a photo below of my “which hand is the rock in?” game. Their smiles are so contagious!
Here is a photo of the families that received goats. They are able to use the goats to sustain their families for food or to breed them and sell them. It is a huge blessing!
The rest of the days we spent painting the bedrooms and common spaces (both inside and outside the buildings) of the orphanage on site. I have some clothes that are sprinkled with blue, purple, teal, and coral colored paint. I absolutely loved this ongoing project, and I know it really blessed the kids!
It has been such an honor to be a part of these activities and to see how God is using these things to show love to His children. I have learned so much by being here!
