Haitian Culture

Mission Englise Chretienne Redemptrice

Standing on an empty lot, Pastor Poyis and I stared at the church’s walls. The roof hadn’t even been installed yet, but we expectantly discussed his vision for the church and the impact it would have beyond its physical building. Pastor Poyis shared with me that he wanted to name the church “Connect 2 Ministries.” “Let’s pull back.” I said, “The church needs to have a Haitian name, not an American one. The church’s name should be related to your heart for the community. What is your desire for this community?” Pastor Poyis said, “I would [...]

2023-04-06T16:30:46-07:00October 7th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Highlights|Tags: , , , |
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Walk for Restaveks (October 2022)

The title “restavek” has been used to describe an abused child who lives with and serves a family that is not his or her biological family. These children are either sold by their own family to another that is financially able to provide, or they are orphans with no family to care for them. The children are extremely vulnerable, living as modern-day slaves. The term, “restavek,” was once used as a verb. Meaning “to stay with,” it originally described the action of living alongside another, but it now communicates something very different. The majority of restaveks [...]

2023-10-31T12:03:01-07:00September 30th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Highlights|Tags: , , , , |
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Trip Memories

In June 2021, I drove our team back and forth from the compound to the Children’s Homes a few times. Most of the drive is on dirt roads, and because I grew up in Texas driving on ranches and farmland, I learned how to navigate these rugged areas. I have to say, these roads are extremely rugged. I learned why on Wednesday evening when it started to rain just as we were finishing. Within a few minutes, the roads were flooding. It’s only a half mile from the Children’s Homes to the compound, but each [...]

2023-04-06T16:34:11-07:00September 23rd, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , , |
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Answers to Prayer

I want to share with you today about some work we did on a recent construction project in Haiti. We prayed for years for the means and opportunity to build our director’s house at the Mercy Home, and on this trip, the time had come. The team and I spent our first morning on site getting things set up for the week. We put the tools and a generator in a storage room and then started to lay out the area where we would build. Our plans were to build the house approximately 40’ by [...]

2023-04-06T19:29:16-07:00August 26th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , , , |
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2022 World Humanitarian Day

Shaina Grill has served with Connect 2 Ministries for more than eight years, and she currently serves as our Sponsorship Program & Special Events Coordinator. As we recognize World Humanitarian Day, we asked Shaina to share her thoughts on living life for others. My first trip to Haiti was my first outreach trip ever. I didn’t grow up in the church, so by the time I came to Christ, I had a young family and didn’t have an interest in serving outside of my local congregation. When our middle daughter was a senior in high [...]

2023-06-12T10:11:58-07:00August 19th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , , , , |
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A Testament to God’s Grace

Many mornings when I wake up in Haiti, I hear music from the church first thing. The songs are always a selection of hymns and Christian music; it is beautiful and a wonderful way to start the day. This Sunday in June 2021 was no exception. Our team walked over to the church around 7:15, and the 125 kids from our Children’s Homes were already seated; today, they were in the main service. When this happens, it makes the church even fuller. There were a few people from the community there as well, and the [...]

2023-04-06T19:26:48-07:00August 12th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , , |
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2022 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

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. Listen to these testimonies from our children and be encouraged by the work God is doing in Haiti. Our ministry team and the [...]

2023-04-06T19:24:42-07:00July 30th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , |
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Religion & Vodou

One evening, I started asking Jimmy some questions about Haitian culture. It’s funny, even though he speaks good English, there are times when we still have to repeat sentences in order to understand each other. This happens with Poyis as well. Learning a language and a different culture takes time. One thing we discussed was religion and Vodou. Jimmy shared with me that Vodou is still a big part of Haitian culture—I learned that most people, even pagans, believe Vodou exists. The easiest way for me to describe it is that Vodou is the work of [...]

2023-04-06T19:33:31-07:00July 15th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , |
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The Gospel Is Bigger

Poyis and I spent an hour together one evening as he updated me on all that was going on in his church and at the Children’s Homes. I am constantly reminded of the challenges of raising kids. I had three, but Poyis has 120. He does a remarkable job. The staff face issues that many parents would be familiar with—students occasionally neglecting responsibilities, pushing against restrictions—and they navigate these difficulties with grace. I have learned to pray the same things I’ve prayed for my own children for the kids in our homes, asking that God [...]

2023-04-06T19:37:31-07:00July 1st, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , , , |
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Join Us in Prayer

On Friday mornings, we typically share updates from Haiti—stories from a recent trip or highlights of ministry over the past months. Today, we want to share a specific update on how you can be praying with us for Connect 2 Ministries. Since the presidential assassination last summer, Haiti has struggled to stabilize. We continue to see health and food needs arising on a daily basis, and gang activity has been an added concern. Please pray that God would protect our children and ministry partners, and ask the Lord with us that Haiti’s November elections would bring [...]

2023-04-06T19:38:54-07:00June 24th, 2022|Categories: Ministry Outreach|Tags: , , |
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