After an extra night in Miami due to delays and missed flights, I’m on my way back home. These 4 days have been truly beautiful and sobering at the same time. I arrived early Friday. Neither of my bags arrived, so that immediately through a wrench into my plans. We visited the school of Arnold Pierre. IOCH began support here 3 months ago. As I walked through this school, unfinished, with no roof over some classrooms, lacking benches, electricity and nearly every other accommodation one would expect, I marveled that 120 children have this as their only educational option. In fact, they are privileged in this area to have any school at all. The director, his wife and four children live in a small space beside the school, doing what they can give hope to the children in their neighborhood.
Next, we visited the home of one of the first teachers we supported in Milot. Diana has two beautiful children. Her husband struggles to find regular work, and she has started a small business by her house. It was good to see her again. It was finally time for Steve’s wedding.
I don’t have space here to say how impressed I am by this young man. I took an entire update to tell his story two weeks ago. It was an honor to be in his wedding to Flanese, taking the place as his father who he lost at a very young age. The ceremony and time spent with Steve was amazing.
I spent a couple hours in the evening with Nick from New Roots ministry and two older men who have served in Haiti most of their life. I also flew in with David Lloyd and his wife. Their son and daughter in law were killed in a gang attack last year in Port au Prince….yet here they are, still serving Christ in Haiti. Yesterday I flew out with man named Edsel. At 73 years old, he still endures the extreme riggers of coming to Haiti to maintain significant agricultural projects, which in turn feed school children. It is only by experiencing Jesus that these men continue to sacrifice themselves to serve “the least of these.” Edsel gave me a much-needed laugh, he said, “I have two wives in heaven…I’m not sure how that’s going to work out yet…” He desires to serve until God calls him home.
Saturday – as usual our team prepared for about 80 school leaders to come to IOCH HQ to fellowship, eat and learn together. IOCH began supporting 8 new schools from the Anse Rouge area. Four of the directors traveled 9 hours to join us. The other 4 will come next month. IOCH currently supports 50 schools, salary support for 612 teachers and provides 10,300 pounds of rice monthly for school lunches for about 8,000 children.
At the end of the seminar, I was approached as usual by about a dozen school directors seeking the same help. I have nothing to give them but I do my best to sit and talk with them, to hear of their work and struggles. Once the house was finally empty, I made several batches of popcorn and our team enjoyed the evening together.
Sunday- everyone piled in the truck, and myself on Richecard’s motorcycle to travel about 3 hours to Pleasance for church in Central Haiti. I shared a message on “why Jesus died.” After church we enjoyed some time with the kids….so precious!
3 school directors took advantage of me being in the area to show me their schools. We walked around town , visiting each place, taking videos and understanding their situations, each struggling to pay teachers and to feed hungry students. A young boy approached me, about 13 years old, physically and mentally disabled. He said “I want to go to school.”
It was heart breaking…. he has never been to school because in Haiti there are no programs for disabled children. Sadly, there was nothing I could do for him.
On the way home we stopped at our favorite roadside food stand for lunch. I challenged Richecard to confront his fear of dogs…the video is too funny!
In the evening we shared a goat together which was gifted to us by Blaise Pascal for helping to keep their school from closing last month. Most of our staff meeting involved a lengthy discussion on the difference between the “prosperity gospel” that is spreading around the world and the true gospel of Jesus.
Monday – we loaded up the team and tools to go to Madam Tabitas orphanage. The children were so excited to see us. IOCHs team worked hard to bury about 500 feet of electric wire and install a much-needed water purification system. The time with the children was wonderful. The clean water will help to prevent the children from sickness from drinking bad water. Steve took me to the airport and my 47th trip to Haiti was safely completed, praise God. Thank you as always for your prayers and support. Please enjoy the pictures and videos!
God bless,
-IOCH Founder David Garman
“UNITING THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO WORK FOR A BETTER HAITI”