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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Laying a Foundation, Part 3 Monday The team was up early and ready to get going. We ate a nice breakfast, spent some quality time together as a group, and started loading the van so that we could be on the road first thing—and then, the van wouldn’t start. Over the span of about half an hour, I watched the Haitian world and the American world collide. The Americans were antsy to start the day, and the Haitians were rolling with the circumstances. When Poyis arrived, he stopped a moment, put his [...]
