October Overview
October has been a challenging month in Haiti. It started with school in session; gas, diesel and propane readily available; the markets and businesses open; the roads open most of the time; and things going fairly well. Since the assassination of the president in July, the acting government officials have been very quiet and the gangs have risen in power and influence. This has resulted in limited ability to travel around the Port au Prince area due to the increase in roadblocks, kidnappings and hijackings. The recent kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries is still unresolved as we anxiously await news of their release. Please join us in prayer for the hostages to be released unharmed and without any ransom being paid.
There is increasing gang activity and unrest in the Port au Prince area, resulting in fuel shortages, increasing food scarcity, communication system failures, and hospital closures around the country. Due to all these challenges and the ongoing hostage situation, we departed Haiti a few days ago and are spending time in Florida as we await resolution of these situations. Without us on campus, there are fewer mouths to feed with the limited resources, and there is less attention drawn to the campus. We are praying for a quick resulution to these issues so we can return to Haiti and resume all the projects and activities we’re working on with our staff and kids.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 ESV
Daycare Update from Denise
Randy and I are working on several projects for Hands and Feet Project. One of mine is the Daycare. Our daycare was created as part of the Family Preservation piece, keeping families together.
The Little Hands Daycare was opened in 2018 to support families in crisis. Our purpose is keeping families together. We opened our Little Hands Daycare so we could provide free childcare during the day time hours so parents who don’t have anyone else to watch their children can work and provide for their families.
Our vision is to see the whole child develop in an environment of safety and love. At Little Hands, we create a safe space for the infants and children that are vulnerable in our community. We help awaken their spirit to wonder and help grow their cognitive, emotional and physical development to its potential.
Since we started, our first little ones have turned 3 years old and have headed off to school this past September. This opened up the opportunity for us to bring in a new group of kids. We have “interviewed” about 40 parents and have picked 15 kids to start. That is 15 families that we are helping to keep their jobs which means their family can stay intact. The process was very difficult for us. This also means that those other families will need to find another way to make it work. That’s a pretty difficult situation for us. When I say “us”, another opportunity we had recently is hiring an Administrator for our daycares. Her name is Natacha. Natacha is doing an amazing job and I love working with her. She speaks fluent English as well as Creole. She has a heart and passion to help her country, the people and families in it.
Please keep our daycares, staff, and children in your prayers. Please also pray for those families who we were not able to help, that they would find suitable ways to care for their children so the family can stay together.
Our goal is to replicate our onsite daycares throughout the area of Jacmel and in the Grand Goave area. Possibly even farther. Please be in prayer with us about the timing and the locations for these. We also know that what is going on in the country right now may stop the process for a bit but we are confident that God will bless the future daycares as He has the current ones.
New Computer Donations
A recent Hands and Feet Project fundraiser resulting in being able to purchase new laptops for our computer lab! Randy is working on getting them set up for the kids to learn how to use them for school projects and build general computer skills. The lab has been open recently with our old computers, and it’s been fun to see the kids wanting to learn and teach others how to use them. They are constantly asking for more computer time! It’s great to see them eager to learn and grow in their technical abilities.
We’re also grateful to all the donors who helped with other recent fundraisers to improve and maintain our housing for the kids and other campus facilities. The campus housing updates are happening and our buildings are getting a fresh coat of paint that they’ve really needed!
In Summary
Thanks for all your ongoing prayers, support and encouragement as we navigate this latest twist in our Haitian adventures. We continue to work remotely as much as possible. We encourage and support our Haitian staff from afar. We pray for peace to engulf the nation as they find resolution to the various issues they face.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
2 Peter 1:2 NIV