On January 9th 2014 several of us arrived at Deep River Mission to start construction on the house. 24 weeks later on June 26th, Deep River Mission opened its doors for the first time to a group of 32 people. That was the beginning of seeing God at work. Since that time, it has been quite a ride. For the next five years, we steadily grew with groups staying at DRM while they served the community with their various short-term missions. Since the onset of covid, our groups have dwindled to almost nothing and we have had to change gears dramatically, to now we are working with our Haitian neighbors on community projects. But in our years of hosting those groups, we have made true friends and have fond memories of the many that have stayed with us, and we certainly hope to see many of you again. (By the way, from our perspective on the ground, and despite what you might hear and see on the news, Cap Haitian in recent years, has been far safer than most other parts of the country). We have truly learned a lot in these ten years. It is hard for those of us from the US to understand what it is like for Haitians, in such abject poverty, to live without any dream or hopes of their situation ever getting any better, while just plodding along to survive each day. To help shift that fatalist perspective, we have been working with a small group of men and aiming to have a deeper impact on their lives, spiritually as well as vocationally. Lately, we have focused on four activities to help enrich their lives in a practical sense. First, is teaching auto repairs, which is quite challenging, as it involves diagnostics as well as the challenge of getting parts into the country. Secondly, we send some men weekly to take care of the grounds at the local hospital, and they have improved the situation there dramatically. Thirdly, several men are working on a concrete drainage canal to help reduce the flooding from the heavy rains and the unsanitary conditions. And, lastly, we are working with a young lady, developing her computer skills so she can help monitor the expenses of her mother’s medical clinic to improve the profits and efficiency of that clinic. Alongside these practical lessons and opportunities, we have been quite encouraged with a Sunday afternoon study of Proverbs with four local men that speak English. We are able to weave in practical guidelines for living that apply specifically to life in Haiti. The first chapter had a warning to avoid getting involved with gangs. And that has never seemed so applicable as it does today! The speaking of fluent English is a secondary benefit for their life skills, as it can give them an advantage in many work opportunities. So, all in all, we have been very encouraged by our new focus coming alongside our community neighbors. We are blessed to be helping these individuals with some vocation opportunities, life principles, and even helping them gain new spiritual perspectives: the hope that with Jesus Christ, all things are possible! The changes that we see in these lives are extremely encouraging! And we invite you to come along side us in this new direction to “Help Haitians Help Themselves”. (fb)

Flag day on Haiti is a day of celebration and when someone asked to use our community center I had no idea what would happen, but here is how it started. (fb)