Affirmation! We all want to be affirmed in one way or another, and the Helping Haitians Help Themselves team is no exception. As we met together to debrief our trip to Haiti, this theme emerged over and over. In little and big ways, God showed us that we are doing the work that He wants us to do. 

As many of you know our team's work of "Helping Haitians Help Themselves" works primarily in three areas – construction, English as a Second Language, and vet work. The construction work will soon be finished, but there were significant praises and affirmations there. The boys’ dorm, Jerusalem, should be finished in the next month or so thanks to the many donations given towards this project. Gene saw the affirmation of this project as he talked with Phanord, the construction boss, and visited the work. Through the hiring of a Haitian electrician who was trained by Germans, the hiring of Haitians to complete the work, and the agreement of vision between Gene and Phanord, God’s hand was evident. For those at the Open Door Church who saw the first floor go on in 2000, the completion of this work will be a celebrated conclusion to that part of their partnership.

Those working with English as a Second Language (ESL) witnessed many affirmations that we are doing the work of God. Through better participation in class to seeing improvement in the English, the team was encouraged again and again. Neriah noted, “Through practice of pronunciation, the Haitians sounded like they had American accents.” And Julie, who just went on her third trip, “The students are speaking better English. They are not having to think as much to form their thoughts.” Significantly, Gene met up with Mike Lawson, the man who succeeded him at UCNH. Mike shared story after story of previous students working with NGOs who have their jobs because of their English. And God’s sense of humor asserted itself even in Rita’s trip back as she met up with former UCNH students, who speak English, at the American Airlines counter. They moved her to a better seat in the plane for her return journey because of working with the ESL.

Finally, I would like to share a story from Mike about the vet work that again affirms our role in what God is doing in Haiti. One day, Mike and his team headed for the village of Ray. Ray is a small village far from the roads. They had to walk for over a half hour after they left the road. Budry, who is learning from Mike how to treat animals, led the way. It is important to note that Budry is not getting paid, and in fact trains with Mike on a volunteer basis, giving up other opportunities to earn money when Mike is there. In the chaos of treating animals in the village, Budry declared, “These are good people. They deserve this.” Please keep Budry in your prayers as he continues this important  pro-bono work in Mike’s absence.

Through these stories and many more, our amazing God affirms our efforts to Help the Haitians Help Themselves. Hallelujah!