As I prepare to leave for Haiti again tomorrow, I would like to share some highlights of last month’s annual IOCH teacher seminar. Our team spent weeks preparing IOCH headquarters, copying documents and researching seminar topics. I arrived Thursday, met with our team of about a dozen gifted Haitians, and we were ready for our first group Friday morning. Schools were coming from all over northern Haiti. Some were close enough to walk and others traveled 8 hours!
Each day the teachers started arriving at 8, and we began with worship and devotions at 9. My favorite is seeing a room full of Haitian people rise and salute their flag while singing “La Dessalinienne”, their national anthem. I find it beautiful to see the love they hold for their country, even in such difficult times.
The kitchen staff did an amazing job. Our head cook Margerie managed a staff of 8 women who worked long hours over charcoal fires in the hot kitchen all four days of the seminar, in total feeding over 700 people.
Our theme was FOUNDATIONS. The goal was to strengthen the foundation under Christian education in order to raise up the next generation to be filled with the love and knowledge of Christ to make a better Haiti. After Richecard led worship, Figaro had some fun with the crowd, playing games and telling jokes…he mixed this in throughout the day as the moderator between speakers.
Foundation 1- Strong Families
Pastor Richard shared a powerful message about God’s plan for family. Much of the time was spent on the news to protect young people from exposure to sexual material online and a call to setting an example of sexual purity as teachers. Without strong families, we cannot expect to have a strong country
Foundation 2- Biblical understanding
The IOCH team created a 30-lesson Bible curriculum from scratch two years ago. Watson shared on the importance of first understanding God’s word and secondly putting it into daily practice. IOCH believes biblical living is the framework for change in Haiti.
Foundation 3- Knowledge for change
Jefferson brought this very exciting topic. First, he made a great effort to confront the superstitions of Haitian culture that directly conflict with scripture. Then Jefferson challenged all present to better understand how the world functions. If Haiti can move forward it must put behind mystical beliefs about the world and embrace the science and realities that surround us in God’s creation.
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I closed out each day with an introduction to myself, the beginnings of IOCH and the vision to work for a better Haiti that glorifies God. The highlight for me was to show everyone the picture of the day my wife and I met Kemsi, a 10-year-old street child looking for help. I felt called to help him. Sitting down with us he said, “if you want to help me, don’t give me money, help me go to school.” I was so shocked by this situation, that I had to cross the street, pretend to look at the ocean…and cry. In that moment God put the vision of IOCH in motion. Now IOCH helps 8,000 children go to school, but Kemsi was the first. Then each day I surprised the crowd when Kemsi, now a young man walked up on the stage with me.
The staff did well to give each group of about 160 a memorable experience and encourage them to see being a teacher as a God sent opportunity to invest in the next generation of Haiti. On Sunday between the two busy seminars our whole team went to the beach for the afternoon to relax after a beautiful church service.
When day 4 was finally finished, we were all completely exhausted, but it felt like the mission was accomplished successfully. As always, thank you for your prayers and support for IOCH, as we “Unite the People of God to Work for a Better Haiti.”
In humility,
-IOCH Founder David Garman
“UNITING THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO WORK FOR A BETTER HAITI”