Activity Updates from Haiti
Heart of God in Haiti
“Religion that God our Father accepts
as pure and faultless is this: to look after
orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by
the world.” (James 1:27 NIV)
ulfilling James’ words above is more than simply giving a home to an orphan. Orphaned and poor children need more than a bed to sleep in and roof over their heads. They need care, nurturing, and love. They need instruction, Godly examples, and tools for life.
The following are glimpses into the everyday lives of the children under the nurturing care of dedicated men and women in Haiti who are giving of themselves to teach and train young lives, preparing them for life in the difficult world in which they live. Not only do they put food on their plates, but they also feed their hearts with instruction in the Word of God that will help them make decisions leading toward a life of dedication and service to the Lord. Not all the children are orphaned, but they are all very poor and could not otherwise attend school.
Weekly reports are sent giving a brief summary of what was accomplished each day. Sometimes the 
notes are brief, other times the notes are quite detailed. To give you a glimpse, here is a weekly report for the week ending February 15th:
Monday: Pastor Willy Buteau’s birthday was celebrated by all the students. They were excited to with him a happy birthday after school. They helped put some money together to buy him a birthday card. It blessed us to see their eagerness to bless Pastor Willy with the little bit they had. They were very pleased with themselves. This was an act of giving when, in the past, all they knew was taking. Praise the Lord!
Tuesday: We began to review the educational program with them to prepare the students for exams. It is important that they are prepared so they will do well.
Wednesday: Classes continued as usual, the children were fed and they completed their studies quickly. They are learning well. Little Sammy was hit again and he had another bump. After the incident the day went well with everyone.
Thursday: This was a special day for the children. We are teaching them about growing food and gardening and the Bible course filled our day.
Friday: It was an exciting day. We allowed the children to talk about themselves and share with everyone the change that they have seen in their lives. It was such a blessing to hear their testimonies. God has done a remarkable work in the hearts of these children. It is a privilege to teach them.
Saturday: Saturday is ‘Gospel Day’ and our studies are all centered on the Bible. The children listen and eagerly participate in the discussions and studies.
Each day is filled with things that help to train the children and prepare them for life. The weekly reports outline special events, things that happen with or to the children, and more. It is obvious that some days are filled with excitement as the children experience new food, special opportunities to learn new things, visitors, and more.
Children seem very curious about Jesus. One entire day was recently filled with questions they asked about the life of Jesus and how things were when He was on earth. Can you imagine, in a child’s limited understanding, explaining to them for the first time about Jesus and how God sent His only Son to the earth to be a sacrifice for the sins of all generations? It’s no wonder the children were filled with questions. The ministry in Haiti lends itself to learning, balancing out the natural and the spiritual education; education in the things of this world can really only be explained through understanding of the Word of God. The children eagerly receive instruction from the Word.
Every Saturday is “Gospel Day” as the children celebrate learning from the Word of God in various ways. They look forward to this day each week … it’s not only a break from the routine but they learn while having fun.
It is now a requirement or rule that any child who lives at home with their parents must be at church on Sunday in order to continue attending the school. This seems to be working well as it gives us an opportunity to minister to the parents as well as the children.
Recently, the Haitian Carnival was held. The children at the Day School were not allowed to attend. Instead they started class earlier in the day and finished later so the children were all kept off the street during the carnival festivities. This gave the teachers and leaders an opportunity to explain the problems with the Haitian Carnival while it protected them from being victimized. Once it was explained to the children and the families, they were all in agreement.
The children at the Day School are occasionally taken to an orphanage so they can learn to help other children. They eagerly anticipate these outings … it is in the children’s hearts to give and to serve. All the students participate as well as all family members of the ministry.
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To learn more about the ministry in Haiti, please visit the website.