After three months of continued rescheduling, I was finally able to travel to Haiti this week. Gang activity has not lessened and Prime Minister Ariel has not yet left the country, but police have been able to keep protests from erupting into all-out war. One week ago there were 5,000 protesters outside Ariel’s home demanding he leave Haiti immediately. Actually, it appears they wanted to drag him outside and kill him, but police held them off.
It was necessary for me to fly from Port-au-Prince to Les Cayes rather than drive across the country, as protests and gang activity make that option impossible. I will reverse that process on the day I return to the USA for the same reasons.

 

Life at our compound in Les Cayes, however, remains largely unchanged, though schools and government offices were closed for a few weeks in anticipation of PM Ariel stepping down. I have not heard of any concrete plans for what type of government will replace him. Haiti has a long history of corrupt leadership that fail to put the needs of the people first. Our continuing prayer is for the Lord to intervene and put godly people in charge.
We now have 75 children living at our compound and attending school, either at our K – 5
on-site facilities, or at nearby locations. We had intended to take only five children from a
friend’s orphanage that was closing in P-au-P, but ultimately accepted 15 of the 32 children that would otherwise have been returned to the streets. Some of the older ones have yet to be enrolled in school as we wait on God to supply the funds needed for tuition, uniforms, shoes, books and supplies; things every student in Haiti must provide for themselves. Additionally, we now have 15 older boys living in P-au-P in rooms we provide, along with food while they work in their chosen profession and learn to live on a budget, something many people never learn.

Our building project at our Les Cayes compound continues as funds are available. Last weekend concrete steps were poured to provide access to the planned second floor. Church is now being held in the large room that will eventually be the dining hall. Metal frames for the windows have been ordered and glass will be added later. The current projection from our project engineer to finish the building, including plumbing and electricity, will require an additional $50,000 USD. God may choose to provide that amount all at once or in smaller amounts; either way, we believe He will make it possible to complete this project for His glory.

The container of food and supplies we shipped to Haiti last September still sits in storage, but we believe the demurrage charges have been removed and the paperwork corrected so it can finally be released to us. Nothing is being released currently due to the protests and government shutdown. When things reopen, we plan to move the contents of the container onto two trucks and send them by ship to Mariani, a port halfway to Les Cayes, where it will then be safe to drive the trucks the rest of the way to our compound.

 

In our most recent newsletter we mentioned a special project we are planning to provide a
certified Bible College for pastors and laymen in Haiti. H.E.L.P. Haitian Equipping of Laymen and Pastors. When we announced the project in church last Sunday at a pastors’ installation service, there was an immediate response by several pastors present that they want to attend. There is a real need for qualified training, and we believe God is arranging for it to be supplied. Pastor Daniel is currently working with potential Bible teachers to develop a budget. The classes will be held in the buildings we already have available.

I would like to share a testimony of God’s provision to a small congregation located far from any population center. We visited a small church of metal, framed with tree limbs, pastored by a woman with a healing gift. She put herself through seminary and now leads this ministry to people that live off the land. The congregation has rapidly grown to over a hundred as people have arrived in wheelchairs but leave walking on their own two feet! Jesus paid for our healing and would no more want us to live in sickness than He would have us live in sin. We were delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. Colossians 1:13

Tax records for the fiscal year 2023 show that it was our biggest year by far to date! Thanks for your continued support in the many forms that takes.

Sincerely,
Mark Gillette, TeamOne27