All of my last few posts start the same. It’s been awhile…. Haha!
So what’s been going on since I’ve been hiding here in Haiti? Well, just like you already know, I’m back in Port-au-Prince as the In-Country Director for Fondasyon Jean-Robert Cadet. The activities with the foundation are off to a good start for this school year. Our kids are back in school and we have 3 motivated new advocates (three new staff that I am VERY satisfied with and excited about) as well as the old, sitting with them regularly to capture their stories and give them moral, emotional, and psychological support.
Our work has only just begun. We have two huge projects for the year, one that is still in the idea/planning/dreaming phase, and another that is just emerging from the idea phase into reality. We are looking to see how we can create a “restavek-free zone” by educating and training the neighbors of most of these kids. We’ve found that a large number of people are against the system already, yet feel powerless to speak against it. There are many cultural reasons for this, some of which are unique to the urban centers like Port-au-Prince, but our hope is to create space for people to speak what is really on their minds. We believe that we can serve as catalysts for a movement that many would have started already if they could just find their voice.
We are still waiting to launch this project in full, but a recent tragedy in the area where we plan to work has pushed us into action. On Monday a restavek girl (less than 10 years old) was beaten so severely that she could barely stand. According to the neighbors, this was not the first time that they had heard the girl crying out. By chance, this was the first time that the girl managed to escape into the arms of a waiting neighbor during the beating. The police were called, the perpetrator was taken to jail, the girl was taken to the hospital, and the next day, the girl was on her way home to her mother. What’s amazing to us is how quickly a hundred other “heroes” emerged when one neighbor stood up to say “enough.” It seems that, in the case of the restavek system, the tipping point = 1. We are moving quickly to back up this community that has voiced its desire to end such mistreatment.
As for the rest of my stuff… I still haven’t mentioned what I’m doing (publicly) but I’m 4/5ths of a businessman by now. I’ve made some large investments in equipment, thought through my business strategies, and just as I begin my official proposal, an NGO likes my idea so much that they just might fund me so that I can start bigger. I’ve already been lined up for free business consultation (which is very helpful in Haiti, the 128th easiest country to start a business in… that’s out of 130), and its possible that a pretty well-known development NGO (which I will not name until its confirmed) may decide to accompany my project over the next few years with funds, ideas, and guidance. More details to come…
Under my third hat is Children’s ministry. I’m never satisfied with the amount of attention that I am able to give to this domain. If I could, I would concentrate all of my time here, but I guess that’s not where I’ve been called to at the moment. To accomplish the vision that God has given for us, God sent us another wave of children’s ministers, enough to double our staff. I’m just getting to know them. It may be awhile before I know each one, but each one brings new gifts, talents, and ideas to our team. In two weeks I will have a chance to sit down with many of them in our staff retreat at the beach to see what God has put on their hearts and minds.
The work that I do directly is still bringing forth a lot of fruit. I have a growing group of children that are excited to read God’s Word, pray, and worship together. They are sharp too. I learn from them every week. I’ve found that very few of these kids have ever had anyone tell them, in any practical way, what is possible for them with God. They’ve never had anyone sit down with them and show them how to study the word of God. Every time I show a new kid how to do this, every time I encourage them in the possibilities of God, they are filled with joy. Today, I had a new girl who was so excited and eager to dive in that she cried with tears of joy and anticipation. She begged me to show her how she can start a REAL relationship with God. That’s why I love to work with these kids. They know what they really want. They aren’t big into faking it for the rest of their lives… Their minds are still fresh and they desire to see the manifestation of the full truth. They actually believe that what they read is possible. Many exciting things to come.
One more thing… Our church is on its way to having a roof! Pretty huh? When it’s finished, its supposed to hold about 7,000 people… All this has been paid for by the pennies of our faithful congregation over a period of 5 years. We’ve only just begun… the roof will be the biggest challenge yet… then the tile… then the pews… then the chairs in the middle… then the music equipment. God has been faithful. So have the people. We’re going all the way!
