Family Life I’ve been thinking a lot about a trip to Haiti last summer. We traveled with the goal of making progress on a few projects at the Regency Home and arrived focused and ready to work. As we pulled up, one of the older boys, Johnny, opened the gate for us. Johnny came to our home five years ago, and the growth in this young man’s life over that time has been amazing. You can read his full story here. As the kids in our homes are getting older, many of [...]
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16 Pastor Derozier Bernateau Pastor Bernateau was raised in a Christian home, and his parents were his earliest model of what it means to follow Christ. Pastor Bernateau’s mother was a faithful servant in the church, and his father was an usher. His family lived in the countryside for his whole life, and it wasn’t until Pastor Bernateau came to Port-au-Prince that the Lord called him to ministry. That specific [...]
A Lasting Impact, Part 2 This trip was a whirlwind, to say the least, and our team worked on a couple of projects for the Children’s Homes while also helping with the Children’s Hunger Fund food pak distributions. It is so encouraging to watch ministry happen in real-time. One morning, the Medical Clinic offered vaccines for the community, with women bringing their babies for check-ups and immunizations, and another day, the pastors from our Mercy Network came to the compound for a morning of worship, equipping, and discipleship. The week was filled with ministry. [...]
World Humanitarian Day Dr. Jarvis has served in international ministry for eighteen years, and he is a faithful volunteer with Connect 2 Ministries. As we recognize World Humanitarian Day, we asked Dr. Jarvis to share his thoughts on gospel ministry and serving in an international context. We hear often that the Christian life is meant to be spent. Ministry is about connecting with people, building relationships, and leading others to Christ, and the heart of gospel work is keeping the main thing the main thing. It’s not primarily about bringing food [...]
A Lasting Impact, Part 1 If you’ve ever wondered how much a church can impact a community, you should see the church in Haiti. On a recent trip, a few mundane events gained so much more meaning in my mind, as I had the opportunity to witness the church in action. On day one, as we began our drive to Onaville, the van’s hood started to rattle. Pastor Poyis pulled over, hopped out, and secured it, but thirty seconds hadn’t gone by before he got a phone call. A passing bus’s driver had recognized [...]
Laying a Foundation, Part 6 Friday Afternoon After breakfast (and seeing Chuck off to the airport—see Part 5 of this series for the story), some of the team went to finish work on the church while the rest of us focused on tying up loose ends at the Children’s Home. Our work with the kids went quickly, and we were saying goodbye after only a couple of hours. We went back to the compound, where we found the guys building a wardrobe cabinet and working on solar panels. We hung out with them [...]
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons - July 30, 2021 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons resonates with the heart of Connect 2 Ministries. Each year on July 30, we join the global movement to end human trafficking as an extension of our ongoing ministry during the year. More than 120 children rescued from trafficking now call our Regency and Mercy Children’s Homes their home, living in an environment where they are loved, educated, and given a hope-filled future. They even refer to Pastor Frandy Poyis, our partner in ministry, as their [...]
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:8–10 Pastor Pierre Jean David Pastor Pierre Jean David knew about Jesus from a [...]
Laying a Foundation, Part 5 Thursday I spent the morning with a group of pastors, and we sang, prayed, and then spent some time discussing Psalm 23. One of the younger pastors posed a question about how God, who is a shepherd, could allow some in the world to suffer while others do not. You can imagine what this sparked in the room. I was able to briefly walk through Scripture and explain how God is sovereign, showing that the Bible points to Jesus as the perfect example of suffering, giving us a model [...]
Laying a Foundation, Part 4 Tuesday We arrived at the church early and were greeted immediately by more of the church members, ready to help with whatever was needed. All of the posts were in the ground, and the main objective of the day was to build the forty-foot center beam (along with cutting and placing all of the side beams). This would take all day. I was very impressed by our men; they were eager to work and to get things done. While the building continued at full force, Poyis [...]
