Over and over again people will ask, “I'm not sure what I would
do in Haiti. Wouldn't it be a better use of that money to just send
it down?” In general the answer is “No.” Our goal is that you would fall in love with Haiti's
youth and our partners. Our goal is that you would be able to pray
for our board and one or two of the students by name...you will see
their faces and know their stories. Our goal
is that you will laugh and play with your new friends and brothers
and sisters in Christ, whether they are little orphans from the
mission where we stay, or our students and friends in Neply. We understand not everyone can come down, but if you can...COME!
Arnold, one of our board members told those who joined us on this last trip, “Thank you for coming to Haiti to see how we live. Together we can start making a difference. The children are not the same as they were before we started Help The Youth. They are participating in church more. Their friendships are better. They understand people better. I see how imporant it is. Sometimes we don't know what we are doing because we don't see the changes inside the heart. I can see there is a great difference!”
Rodrique said, “I don't have a job now, but I know that I have been prepared and have an education, so I will have a job. Our students have that same hope. They know that they are being prepared and educated so they will be ready for what God wants for them.”
We have been told by several people, “If people are hopeless they will turn into bad people out of desperation...thieves, drug dealers, etc. But our students have hope. They know God has made it possible for them to go to school.”
TiCarme said, “The students feel like a president's child. They don't have to worry that they will be sent home from school because there is no money for school.”
There is no way to understand the power of that statement without understanding the educational system in Haiti. There is no free education. If 2/3rds of the way through the year you run out of money the student has to do the whole year over again. (The importance of us being in this for the long haul really struck me when she said this.)
We can tell the difference in the students by looking in their faces, by watching them tease each other, by watching them serve on a mission trip to a neighboring village. This really is all about changing hearts...mine, yours, our partners, our students. We know God doesn't just work through Haiti, so I'm wondering, "What is God doing in your heart lately?"
Arnold, one of our board members told those who joined us on this last trip, “Thank you for coming to Haiti to see how we live. Together we can start making a difference. The children are not the same as they were before we started Help The Youth. They are participating in church more. Their friendships are better. They understand people better. I see how imporant it is. Sometimes we don't know what we are doing because we don't see the changes inside the heart. I can see there is a great difference!”
Rodrique said, “I don't have a job now, but I know that I have been prepared and have an education, so I will have a job. Our students have that same hope. They know that they are being prepared and educated so they will be ready for what God wants for them.”
We have been told by several people, “If people are hopeless they will turn into bad people out of desperation...thieves, drug dealers, etc. But our students have hope. They know God has made it possible for them to go to school.”
TiCarme said, “The students feel like a president's child. They don't have to worry that they will be sent home from school because there is no money for school.”
There is no way to understand the power of that statement without understanding the educational system in Haiti. There is no free education. If 2/3rds of the way through the year you run out of money the student has to do the whole year over again. (The importance of us being in this for the long haul really struck me when she said this.)
We can tell the difference in the students by looking in their faces, by watching them tease each other, by watching them serve on a mission trip to a neighboring village. This really is all about changing hearts...mine, yours, our partners, our students. We know God doesn't just work through Haiti, so I'm wondering, "What is God doing in your heart lately?"
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