It is amazing to see what God is doing through our partners in Haiti! My son and I just returned from visiting the Christian Veterinary Mission’s “Give a Kid to a Kid” project (GKK) and the Restavek Freedom Foundation. The GKK project has seen tremendous success. The momma goats that the kids earned through classes at school are having babies! The children are now able to start selling goats and buy more momma goats. This is the first income source many of these families have ever seen! The village we are working with is tremendously poor but over many years of good leading from a local pastor, the investment of long term missionary veterinarians, and a great blessing from God, we are seeing success. The leaders of this program live in the village and are now paid “trainers” who teach the kids to raise goats. They then act as “goat social workers” and check in on the kids and animals to make sure everyone is doing well. Finally, the children are taught the business skills necessary to sell in local markets and make some income. We hope to see this program expand to include more children in the village and additional schools. I am so proud of these local trainers and their commitment to this program. This confirms to me that change is possible in Haiti. I’m praying for this village to finally rise above the poverty line.

Next,  we visited the Restavek Freedom Foundation in their new transitional home. This is a beautiful home for young girls rescued out of lives in servitude (“restavek”). We met the five girls living there now and will forever remember their gentle and sweet spirits. These girls will have the opportunity to go to school, have a safe place to live, and good health care and nutrition. In addition, they will have access to counseling and love from the Christian house staff. The lives of these girls have been snatched from the edge of a precipice. Some have gone through tremendous suffering and I trust that with prayer, counseling and patient love they will heal from their wounds and learn that their lives are precious to God. We are encouraged at the hand of God on this ministry. He has clearly orchestrated so much of getting this house up and running. We trust He will continue to sustain them. Please remember the leaders of both ministries in prayer. They all need spiritual protection.

I found that the tent cities are by far the most disturbing part of the earthquake aftermath. The conditions people are living in there are horrific. In my opinion any programs that result in people moving into better housing would be worth supporting.  There are no sewage control systems in most of them. Babies are being born into a perilous situation. Seeing these sites up close was sobering.

With that being said, I do trust that God has a clear plan here. If people will act when He gives them opportunity, He will use our mustard seed sized efforts to accomplish great things. I have seen how much is done by Him in Haiti. Many of our partners are in awe of what He is accomplishing that they know was not because of their efforts! I have seen miraculous connections made between people at just the right time to catapult good work ahead. I saw a microenterprise expand 100 fold in one year as the person in charge stands in awe obediently moving forward as God gives her wisdom. Entire lives and courses of direction are being altered for good. Single mothers are buying land and considering building houses and now have the means to do it. Haiti is not hopeless, though it feels that way looking at the big picture. I believe that God wants us to see the individuals and change one life at a time and He is doing exactly that in Port au Prince!