Areas of Service

There are four main areas in which JUST MERCY is seeking to serve:

 1. Spiritual:

In the mountains, on Ile a Vache, and on surrounding islands, our ultimate goal is to help bring people to know the living God. We acquired a projector and show the Jesus film and the Jesus film for children whenever we have the opportunity. In cooperation with Samaritan’s purse, we distribute Operation Christmas Child gifts to hundreds of children and then have them go through The Greatest Journey course, teaching them about Jesus. While living in the village with the people on Ile a Vache, numerous opportunities present themselves to get to know the people and share life on a daily basis with them, developing relationships, with hope to bring them into a relationship with the Lord.  Bible studies using Proclaimers, audio Creole Bibles, are being set up in people’s homes.

In the mountain village of Janou and the coastal fishing villages Baiu de Mesle, JUST MERCY has  been instrumental in helping the local people construct church buildings.  The one in Janou was destroyed during hurricane Matthew in 2016.  In Baiu de Mesle, the roof is on and doors are in!  The church/school in Janou is nearly complete except for doors and shutters.  The cistern is collecting water when it rains, saving the people a 3 hour round trip to haul home all the water they use!   

2. Educational:

In the fall of 2023, school classes for the young children of Janou were finally started!!!  The ladies of SW Missouri Dress-a-Girl sewed uniforms for the children.  We are so excited to finally be getting the school started, saving these children a 6 hour round trip hike to go to the school farther down the mountain.

3. The Reef Project

The people mostly live from the sea and the land, both of which are being used up. They use huge nets (up to a half a mile long) with very small holes and they seine EVERYTHING out of the sea, keeping even the smallest fish to eat.

We have designed a marine habitat specific to this challenging environment with hopes of intervening in the decimation of the sea life here and one of the only food sources for the population of the island.

Three artificial reefs have been built and put in the sea. The reefs are letting fish grow bigger and providing a base for coral and protections for sea life. We hope to continue building these reefs.

4. Medical:

Six times we have been able to take visiting physicians to the mountains.   On the island, people come on a daily basis seeking simple first aid which we are grateful to be able to give. We take trips to some of the surrounding small islands and isolated villages to give medical help when possible.

5. Developing Life Skills and Practices:

JUST MERCY shipped in a portable sawmill to the island of Ile a Vache in January, 2014, to help supply local tradesmen with boards to build tables, doors, latrines, and even fishing boats.  Men are making beautiful hand made wooden spoons out of exotic hardwoods.  They are excited about this opportunity to support their families.  You can help by ordering a wooden spoon on the Spoons/Woodworking webpage accessed from the menu above.