Changes and Challenges

Many changes are being undertaken in Just Mercy’s endeavors to serve our Lord among the Haitian people.  As you know, we came to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 and became personally aware of some of the immense needs here. As the mission of Just Mercy has grown and developed here our prayer has been that God would guide each step to bring light and relief and helping hands wherever we are able.  It is evident that He has been doing this as Just Mercy has been involved in the education of hundreds of children, the medical treatment of over a thousand people during the cholera epidemic, the saving of people’s very lives, bringing medical attention to places it had scarcely touched before, and giving so many “cups of cold water” to those who are thirsty. In all of the small ways God has used all of our hands to touch the lives of His “least of these” we count ourselves immensely privileged. Just Mercy continues to grow, to move forward, to reach out, and to pray for the guidance and direction of our Lord.

Yvrose’s children’s home and new school buildings

The situation in Fonds-Parisien has changed.  Yvrose’s children’s home has grown a great deal.  Just Mercy was the first to help her but she has continued to expand her ministry with the help of other organizations and supporters.  For numerous reasons, the decision was made to sell Just Mercy’s current mission base to Hope House, Yvrose’s children’s home.  It only makes sense for them to have it, as it is right here next to their own limited facilities and their new school.

Foundation for the new smaller base in Fonds-Parisien

The funds from the sale of the mission base are being used to build two smaller, separate bases of operation for Just Mercy. The first will be established to continue the work in the mountains, supporting schools there, and continuing to take medical aid and teams from the states up to work among the people there.  We are building it on a piece of land owned by Clenold and Nono.  This will make it convenient and practical for them to live there and take care of the base when we are away and they will be able to continue to help with Just Mercy’s work in Fonds-Pairisien.

The second base is being laid out on the island of Ile a Vache to begin leading expeditions called “Adventure Missions” to the remote coastal and isolated island villages on the southern shores of Haiti, and further into the mountains through Pays-Pourri and beyond.

The first purpose and focus of Adventure Missions will go hand in hand with what Just Mercy’s mission is: To minister to body, mind, and spirit, bringing the Good News to those who have not heard in remote and isolated places.

– For the body, by leading medical teams into remote places where many people live with common and treatable ailments and diseases but have no access to hospitals or medical attention. We also are working with Dr. Jolius Thelusme who is returning from his residency in October.  He is the person that originally took us to Pays-Pourri.  The school in Pelerin is in his village.  Mommy and Poppy are his parents.  Dr. Jolius loves the Lord and his desire is to establish a permanent clinic in Pays-Pourri.   We are hoping to be able to find people to help make this plan a reality.  Tens of thousands of people live in Pays-Pourri without medical help so this would be an amazing blessing to the region.

– For the mind, by supporting and administering Christian schools in remote mountain villages and islands.  We still hope to rebuild the school in Chapelle which was destroyed by a hurricane and construct a new school in Pelerin.

– For the soul, the goal is to establish deeper, long term teaching relationships with a circuit through the mountains and to the islands, with regular teaching and encouragement for the people from visiting teams.  By partnering with Samaritan’s Purse, The Greatest Journey is being taught to children who receive a Bible. By taking the Jesus film to remote villages to share the Good News, we can share a powerful presentation of the gospel to adults who cannot even read.

The second purpose of Adventure Missions will be to provide more opportunities for others to come and share in both the blessings and trials of working among the people of Haiti. They will facilitate small groups, or a few individuals together, traveling to Haiti to join in the work of Just Mercy on short-term mission trips.

Small island with a fishing village on it

A privately owned 37’ sailboat christened Coming Alive has been made available for the use of Adventure Missions. This will afford Just Mercy a unique opportunity to reach out to the small coastal islands and villages. Similar to the mountain villages which are inaccessible by any other method of travel except by foot or mule, these places are only accessible by boat.

We have already visited two small islands where hundreds of people live in thatched huts and try to survive by fishing.  Their brackish water source is a hole in the ground.  We have already made arrangements with Samaritan’s Purse to take Operation Christmas Child gifts and The Greatest Journey course to these two islands for the children.  Also, as it is so easy to get there with the boat, we hope to spend more time with the people, establishing deeper relationships and sharing the gospel.

Children of the island with their homes behind them

Prayers are also going up for some younger people with open hearts and able bodies to come and help Just Mercy for more extended periods of time in Haiti.  The extensive work involved in sharing God’s love and light in these remote places calls for additional followers of Jesus to come to Haiti and join in the effort. From keeping supplies going up, guiding the combined academic, medical, and evangelistic trips into the mountains, domestic cooking, washing, and cleaning at the mission bases, the general footwork involved, and the new additional endeavor of running Adventure Missions is more than the current number of people serving at Just Mercy can keep up with.  If you or anyone you know are interested in this possibility please contact info@justmercy.org and we will see where the Lord leads.

Thank you for the prayers, support, and love that you have poured out to the people of Haiti through Just Mercy.  Your help continues to keep the schools open where more than just an education is being taught.  Please pray for God’s continued guidance as Just Mercy continues to reach out to the spiritual and physical needs of Haiti.   “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” – Psalms 127:1.