One afternoon in Haiti, we drove into town for a trip to the store. It took us about fifteen minutes to get there, and on the way, we drove through some busy streets filled with cars, trucks, motorcycles, and people. The store was called Cassandra, and there were armed guards at the entrance. It was about the size of a Walgreens, but it sold items like you would find in a Walmart. Groceries and miscellaneous items were the main inventory, but the store also sold motorcycles. I asked Poyis who would shop at a store like this, and he told me most people—from the rich to the regular person. Only the very poor would not.

Poyis and I finished early and went to the car to wait for the others to return. Outside the store, there was a young kid hanging around on the street, looking at us every so often. Eventually he came up and held out his hand for money. This is a common occurrence in Haiti, and it makes sense considering that approximately 59% of Haitians live on less than $3.00 per day. Thousands of Haitian children still look for money on the streets, and usually they have no home.

As we drove away from the store, I was reminded once again of the privilege it is to live without want. To know where your next meal will come from, and even where you’ll sleep at night, is an incredible blessing. It’s an enormous joy to work with Pastor Poyis to provide a safe and loving home for abandoned children; it’s even sweeter to know that these kids receive not only a home, but hope as they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For information about Haiti’s economy, visit connect2ministries.org/haiti.