Update…
I get a lot of questions each day about Haiti and the recent protests. Several things:
(1) Our BGM missionaries, Haitian employees, and mission teams work daily to share the love of Christ in both word and deed. They are making a HUGE difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of desperately poor Haitians. They are bringing medical care, dental care, new housing, clean water, education, jobs, food, and the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ EVERY SINGLE DAY in Haiti.
(2) Everything is calm now. There are no riots and no roads are blocked. Our people on the ground in Haiti tell us everything is normal. In fact, our missionaries and Haitian employees have been in, and around, Port-au-Prince and have had no trouble.
(3) In the countryside in the two communities where we work, our missionaries and our work were never threatened. There were a few roadblocks on the main road for a day, but otherwise, you would never know anything was going on. In fact, our clinic in Galette Chambon stayed open and many of the people who came from the mountains were not even aware of the protests in Port-au-Prince.
(4) We continue to monitor the situation daily, speaking with our full-time employee (Miguelson) who lives and works in Port-au-Prince. Safety is the top priority for our teams and employees and we are glad everything is back to normal.
I am on the email list of an American lady named Sherrie Fausey who lives in Port-au-Prince and runs a school and other ministries. I believe she captured the situation beautifully in two recent emails. I also agree with her main solution. As you can see, she likes to say, “Praise the Lord!” Here is what Sherrie wrote:
July 16, 2018 – Haiti is calm now. It will take a lot to correct the damage done in the 1 day of looting and burning. The police are finding the stolen goods and arresting looters, but the damage is done. Many people who worked in the stores lost their jobs. That was such a sad situation. Please continue to keep Haiti in prayer.
There have been rumors flying all week concerning planned demonstrations, but they were just that – rumors. The prime minister resigned on Saturday without any fuss. That seems to have calmed everything down. There was a peaceful march Saturday afternoon with no trouble. Praise the Lord!!!!!!
July 12, 2018 – I have seen some terrible news about Haiti published in the USA and it breaks my heart. Yes, we did have riots and looting of stores. Is Haiti the only place where that happens? I think the media exaggerated just a bit. This will make recovery harder as it makes Haiti look like a terrible place with terrible people. No, Haitian people are just like any other people.
Other things also happened. Friday evening we had an electrical problem at the children’s home. A bolt came loose and the transformer tipped over stretching a ground wire over the metal case around the meter box. The wire made loud pops and flashes of light and finally caught the meter box on fire. What could we do? The electric company could not come with all the roads barricaded. Our wonderful Haitian neighbors unhooked the transformer and removed the meter. This made it safe for the children to go inside. Praise the Lord!!!!! Stories like this won’t make any headline news, but this is the common, ordinary, Haitian neighbor just being a friend.
One of our teachers took a sick neighbor to the hospital. Praise the Lord!!!!! Another teacher helped a man care for his children when his wife could not get home. Praise the Lord!!!!! One of the cooks led a Bible study and 3 teenagers accepted Jesus. Praise the Lord!!!!!
I have attached pictures of good things happening today. Teacher training today. Cooks working hard today. Students in school today. We have beautiful views of the mountains and ocean from the roof of the school. Praise the Lord!!!!!
Is Haiti a dangerous place? It depends on who you are and what you do. There are bad people in every country who hurt people and Haiti is no different. There are places in the USA where I would be afraid to go. If you flash money around, people will notice.
But I do not feel threatened here. My neighbors know who I am and they know what I do. They know how I live a simple life and spend the funding on the children. They know I love Jesus and I love them. My neighbors take care of me and take care of the school. Praise the Lord!!!!!
So, what is the answer for Haiti? What will make a difference in Haiti? Christian education. Educated people can get jobs. People with jobs pay taxes. The government uses taxes to build roads and schools and hospitals. Christian leaders will use the money to help the people as we teach them to love their neighbor. Praise the Lord!!!!!
There is no quick bandaid for Haiti. A good, Christian education takes many years. Are we willing to stay the course? Are we faithful to the end?
God bless you,
Sherrie
This is Stan, again. I praise God for people like Sherrie and so many other Christians who serve our Lord in Haiti.
What can you do? Sponsor a child for $37 per month. This will change the life of a child and make a huge difference in our schools. You’ll be providing a uniform, books, supplies, tuition, and a meal each day. Plus, you’ll help with additions and improvements at our schools. Click HERE to sponsor a child.
Thank you for your love and support of our work in Haiti. You’re making a BIG difference!
Stan Buckley
Executive Director