Last year was an eventful year for our Souls Winning Ministries partners in Haiti, despite the frequent unrest and disruptions. Among the things for which we give thanks are the following:
Progress in the Formation of the New Haitian Presbytery — 2019 was a time for completing the last steps and sharpening the training of the church officers from all over Haiti who are uniting together to form a new presbytery in the island nation. While the final step of formal commencement was postponed due to travel difficulties, everything is now in place for the presbytery to launch in 2020. Our firm 2020 goal is to see the new presbytery established and busy at work in Haiti.
Building of Foundation and First Phase of Virtual Classroom — Late in 2019, thanks to the generous support of one of our mission partners. we were able to build a substantial foundation at Souls Winning’s largest compound, designed to support the construction of a new virtual classroom space for use by the medical clinic, the school, and the Bible college. A container was purchased and delivered to the site as the first half of what will become a space created from two shipping containers and equipped to provide video learning and video communication between Haiti and the U.S. For the New Year 2020, our plan is to purchase another container and send it to the Souls Winning compound in order to then complete the modifications and the combining of the two containers to create the virtual classroom and put it in to operation. To make an investment toward the completion of the virtual classroom or for needed computers and monitors for the new space, use our PayPal or Easy Tithe giving links.
Bible College Classes Continued — Despite the travel difficulties and frequent cancellations that were necessary at times, some Bible college classes were conducted in 2019 by teachers from TMI and by Jean Paul. We have had to put the masters level program on hold for much of 2019. Through our partnership with TMI and with the acquisition of additional professors, our intention is to resume our Bible college teaching schedule as soon as possible in 2020, so that the current bachelors students may progress normally toward a graduation from their studies in 2021–2022. In addition to ramping up the masters students effort, we also intend to launch a DMin (Doctor of Ministry) program in this new year as well. You can sponsor a Bible college student for a one-week intensive class for $50, or for a two-week intensive for $100.
Emergency and Benevolence Support — With the upsurge in violence in 2019, there were a number of families impacted by the loss of a loved one. And, as was the case with Jean Paul’s niece and her husband, sometimes the impacts for children were the loss of both of their parents. Throughout this past year, faithful partners of this ministry have provided emergency assistance and benevolence relief which has helped these families survive. We give thanks for everyone who has partnered with us to help those most severely impacted. Our prayer is that such emergency needs will be quite reduced in 2020.
Jacmel New Church Construction — The instability in Haiti, especially in Jacmel, significantly delayed our efforts to both raise money and to begin construction of the much–needed multi-use church facility in Jacmel. However, we do have some designated funds in savings for this essential project. We hope to fundraise more pointedly in 2020 and to have enough support in place by the summer in order to begin the excavation work and the pouring of the building’s foundation. We could really use your support in this new year for the building of a church for Jacmel on the property the congregation purchased two years ago. *An investment of as little as $50 will fund the placement of one block in the wall of this new church facility project.
New Joy House Orphanage Update — In 2019, Pastor Paul had to move a few more of the orphans out of the New Joy House because they had reached the age limit for staying in supervised care. These young people of 19 years and above were relocated to housing that Jean found in the community. Some are being helped to find other work in the event that they do not have skills for working in Jean’s ministries. For 2020, Jean Paul has added new, younger homeless children to replace those who have been moved out. He now has 95 children under regular care and must leave a few of the other spaces available empty per Haitian social worker guidelines so that if another facility near him is closed due to noncompliance, some of the children may be relocated to the New Joy House. Many of our New Joy House children still do not have individual sponsors. If you would be interested in sponsoring a child, please contact us, or visit our Easy Tithe link. A sponsorship for $85 per month will fully care for, feed, clothe, and educate one of our children.
Donations of Food Items and School Supplies for 2020 Container
We are now accepting donations of food supplies and school supplies for a planned container to be sent to our Souls Winning partners sometime in late summer of this year. Our New Joy House goes through a lot of dried black beans and white rice, as well as cooking oil and pasta noodles. (They do not use our Italian tomato sauce with the noodles.) School supplies are always in demand, as are bar soaps and deodorant sticks. If you would like to provide these kinds of items, or donate toward the purchase of such items and the shipping costs, please get in touch with us via email at:
re********@re*************.org
, or you can give through PayPal or Easy Tithe and add a note stating: For the 2020 Haiti Container.
(Photo Credit: Jacky Philidor)