2021 Recap Video The Lord has blessed us richly this year! Despite unforeseen trials in the country of Haiti, we have seen God provide, direct, and work powerfully in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Watch this video for some highlights of what the Lord has done through Connect 2 Ministries over the last twelve months. For information about the work in Haiti and how you can get involved, visit connect2ministries.org/support-us.
Christmas in Haiti It’s December 17, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Although December 25 looks a little different in Haiti. There aren’t enough resources to support a large cultural celebration, and Christmas isn’t a primary event for unbelievers because of it. But the church celebrates, and the theme of all our Christmas activities is the fellowship we share with one another because Jesus came to earth as a baby so many years ago. At the Children’s Homes, we buy a bunch of presents, wrap them up in Christmas paper, and bring all [...]
Excited to Serve We talk often about how our kids are growing, but something you might not know is how excited they are to serve others. Recently the flooring in the Children’s Home storage room was redone, so Poyis took an opportunity to involve the kids while putting supplies back after the renovation. These supplies had all been used for previous VBSs—paper, glue, scissors, pencils, and other school supplies—and in the course of putting these things away, Poyis asked a group of the older students what they should do with the extras they were discovering. Their [...]
Giving Tuesday Brad Newbold has served with Connect 2 Ministries for more than three years, and his company, Regency Lighting, has funded many of our projects in Haiti. As we recognize Giving Tuesday, we asked Brad to share his thoughts on living life for others. I have had the privilege of visiting Haiti on five different occasions, and as I visited with the children and worked alongside my co-workers, I paid special attention to what Greg was sharing with us each evening—about living a life in service to others and about sharing the [...]
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” —Psalm 1:1–3 Pastor Louis Jean Lenes Pastor Louis Jean Lenes grew up in a Christian home, and he was [...]
Finding Ways to Communicate Every time I travel to Haiti, I think about how helpful it would be to know some Creole. Most of our Haitian pastors, staff, and children speak Creole, and as a language, it’s similar to French. On a recent trip, I spent a good amount of time looking into online language courses. I’ve been able to pick up some basic phrases, but I know I’d be able to learn more (and faster!) with some concentrated training. Usually, I’d be in Haiti with about four or five other people from the US, but [...]
Rescued & Loved On a sunny morning in Haiti, we arrived at the Children’s Home ready for a day working with the kids. As I made my way to the office, I passed classrooms filled with kids. Resources have been limited due to the coronavirus, but Pastor Poyis had improvised and brought in a couple of adult teachers to facilitate classes as usual. A few of the older children were also helping out by teaching the younger ones. I was amazed to see how well-behaved the children were, despite their classes looking a little [...]
Highlights of Ministry It was hot and humid when we landed in Haiti. The flight was long, and I was looking forward to seeing Pastor Poyis. I got into his car and we headed to Onaville, where the compound and Children’s Homes are located. I was hoping to get as much time with Poyis on this trip as possible, and this car ride proved to be a good start. As we drove, he shared about the current state of affairs in Haiti. The country continues to experience political and social turmoil, but God [...]
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.” —Matthew 5:1 Pastor Marcelin Guercelus Pastor Guercelus grew up with his family in the countryside of Haiti. His family was Catholic and Vodou. When Christian evangelists would come to the area, Pastor Guercelus would laugh at them because bringing people to Jesus was a pointless and impossible task, in his mind. One time, however, he began to listen to an evangelist who came around. After eight days of this, he asked his Christian aunt [...]
Caring as Christ Cares If you walk the grounds of our compound in Haiti, you might notice that we have facilities equipped to care for people in every area of life—spirit, mind, and body. The church is at the center, and that ministry directs the educational programs we conduct in our school. Unsurprisingly, the third main building on site is a Medical Clinic, which serves not only our children and pastors, but provides care to the surrounding community as well. Jesus himself cared for people’s physical needs, so we’ve made it our [...]
