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 I’m the only American on the compound this trip. There are eight staff members here regularly, and only two of them, Poyis and Jimmy, speak English. The same is true at the Children’s Homes, although we plan to begin teaching the kids English in the future. When teams come, we hire translators, so we’re typically able to communicate well—but the thought of how useful it’d be to know the language is always in the back of my mind.

Jimmy and Poyis were my translators on this trip, and one day, I asked Jimmy to bring a few of the kids together for a time of Bible study. It was sweet to watch these children sitting together around a table; one of the older girls read from her Bible out loud, while the rest followed along. They were very serious about it. After this, they prayed together and then sang a song. I am glad we got some pictures, and I am even more glad to have observed that these precious kids are being taught the Word of God and encouraged to understand His love.

Afterward, I spent a little time with Jimmy and got to know him better before he had to go. Jimmy is twenty-seven years old, and he lives about an hour from the compound, in the city. He came to work for Greg and Poyis a few years ago, and he is a man of many talents. Jimmy speaks Creole, English, and some French, and he works full-time for Connect 2 Ministries, using his money to take care of his mom, sister, and brother. The house he lives in has no electricity; Jimmy charges his cell phone at the compound or at a place where he can pay to have it charged (usually from someone who owns a generator). Jimmy is married, and his wife is expecting a baby soon. He loves the Lord, and I was struck by his attitude of thankfulness. I am grateful for my time with Jimmy today, and I’m excited that we have many days ahead together.

Please keep our ministry team in prayer. To support Jimmy and our staff in Haiti, you can make a donation at connect2ministries.org/support-us.