Haiti Outreach Ministries - May 2021 Update
Dear friends,
I hope you and your loved ones are well as we continue to navigate these unusual times. Friends like you are at the heart of our ministry, and we have greatly missed seeing you in person and serving with you in Haiti.
I am writing today to share a status update on volunteer teams returning to HOM mission sites in Haiti. We currently expect team travel will resume no earlier than March 2022. This decision has been made with the guidance of our Haitian leadership, with two main factors informing this timeline.
First, the COVID-19 pandemic – which thankfully has not hit Haiti too hard – is resulting in certain requirements by the Haitian government for those who wish to enter the country. Our Haitian partner MICECC (Mission Communautaire de l’Eglise Chretienne des Cites) is closely monitoring these requirements and making plans for any changes that need to be implemented in order to safely host volunteers from abroad on their campuses. Second, the 2021 Haitian elections are creating some uncertainty as the Haitian people are eager for a fair and democratic process. Assuming these elections result in the inauguration of a new President in February 2022 and election-related uncertainty passes, we would anticipate that teams could then return to Haiti.
While these factors are beyond anyone’s control, it does not make the timeline for a return to Haiti any less disappointing. Our Haitian colleagues are eager for the return of volunteer teams who do so much and keep our ministry thriving, and we look forward to your return.
While team travel is on hold, please know that we still need you. In many ways, we need your support more than ever. Whether or not we can be in Haiti physically, maintenance is still necessary, construction of vital projects continues, patients need care, and students strive to learn. Over the past year, HOM has been blessed by the ways in which groups have supported projects despite the inability to physically go to Haiti. For example, one church has supported the construction of the 2nd floor of a youth center at Repatriote, and another church has helped with necessary additions to the children’s church at Cite Soleil. Another church supported exterior painting at the Terre Noire school.
I am hopeful that your team or church will also consider “adopting” a project. We have over 50 projects identified. Here are examples of some of our most pressing needs:
outfitting the science room at the Terre Noire primary school with new benches, tables, and equipment, as well as repainting
providing interior finishes for the church kitchen at Repatriote, including a new stove, propane, sinks, windows, and doors
financial support for the health clinic
In the words of the Apostle Paul, “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). Thank you for being with our Haitian brothers and sisters in spirit during this time and for your faithful example of Christ’s love despite challenges.
Grace and peace,
Gary W. Fulton
Executive Director
Read more about Haiti Outreach Ministries HERE.
THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking the following gifts for Haiti Outreach Ministries in addition to those mentioned above: prenatal vitamins and baby formula - $25 per family per month; chairs for schools - $25 each; otoscopes - $150 each; primary school for one student per year - $420; secondary education for one student per year - $720; community feeding program - $100 per month. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.