God Is At Work In Haiti!

 

Servants In Fellowship (SIF) has been the NGO which Church of the Saviour has partnered with for over 17 years to provide Christian ministry in Haiti.  From 1999 to 2020 COS sent yearly teams of missionaries to construct a health care clinic, provide short term medical care clinics, build a school (Faith Academy), build a church, build the first HOPE orphanage in 2005, repair damage from the 2010 earthquake to our buildings, build a new HOPE orphanage in 2011 and build hundreds of small homes for people living in tents since the earthquake.  SIF continues to support spreading the Gospel through our Community Development coordinator Junior Cineas and support the education, spiritual development and daily nutrition for over 450 children every year at Faith Academy, with Fanfan Janvier as director.

 

Due to the increasing gang violence in Haiti, SIF has not sent missionary teams to Haiti since 2020.  Our in-country missionaries, Greg and Cathie Benson, retired in 2021.  The current missionary family, Travis and Erin Brubaker and their 4 children, returned from Haiti permanently and will resign from SIF effective January 1, 2023.  This leaves Junior and Fanfan as the current in-country SIF staff.  The SIF Board of Directors has been revisioning how the organization will continue, given the change in circumstances.

 

Through this season of fear and change, God revealed His plan to us.  The oldest girls of HOPE Orphanage decided to leave the center and reached out to Tim and Toby Banks, their previous directors and in their minds, Mom and Dad, for help.  Raising Hope Ministries (RHM) was established as an 501c3 organization to support the ongoing education and career aspirations of the former HOPE girls and other Haitian students.  See www.raisinghopeministries.org for further information and pictures!  SIF and RHM have established a partnership to further both organization's formal goals.  We share a common origin, beginning in 2005.  SIF built the HOPE Center and the Banks served as the first directors, and parents, to the 20 orphaned girls who called it home.  In 2012, the buildings (clinic, orphange and guest house) were illegally taken over by a Haitian national who had power through a corrupt system.  All involved were grief-stricken at the sudden loss of contact with Our Girls.  SIF continued to serve in Haiti by building small homes and other programs.  Fast forward to 2021 and the beginning of the legal exodus of the oldest HOPE Girls.  It is a natural evolution and testimony to God's unending love and ability to overcome manmade obstacles to His plans. 

 

A summary of the history of Church of the Saviour's involvement in Haiti:

1999--- First trip by a team of COS missionaries to Haiti.  The relationship begins!  Large and small teams from COS go to Haiti every year, except 2004, until 2021.

2000 ---Vision of an orphanage to care for Haitian girls is born.

2001---Construction of HOPE Center for Orphaned Girls begins.

2005---Tim and Toby Banks are hired as Directors of HOPE.  First 5 girls arrive.

2006-2008---Next 15 girls arrive, reaching our goal of 20.  Education of mind and spirit flourishes.

2010---Devastating earthquake rocks entire country.   HOPE Center sustains major damage but no injuries or lives lost at HOPE.

2011---New HOPE home is built.

2012---Eviction of all missionaries from organization's properties.  New organization, Servants In Fellowship (SIF) established.

2014---Georgianna UMC, FL takes over financial and administrative duties of HOPE.

2021---Oldest girls leave the orphanage and reconnect with Banks.  Haiti gang violence rampant.  SIF missionaries, Travis and Erin Brubaker,leave for US and briefly return to Haiti.  COVID and US State Dept. Level 4 emergence warnings prohibit teams going to Haiti.

2022---Raising Hope Ministries (RHM) established.  Brubakers resign from SIF due to violence in-country and educational needs of their children

         ---SIF work continues with Haitian team members, Junior Cineas leading Community Development and Evangelism and FanFan Janvier directing Faith Academy.

         ---Formal partnership of SIF and RHM is established.

 

As you read the above chronological summary, you hopefully have a sense of God's unending work in Haiti.  He never abandoned the HOPE girls, our Haitian missionaries and supporters or the work to bring God's love to His people of Haiti.  Those of us who have been involved with Haitian ministries for over 20 years have a sense that the collaboration of SIF and RHM completes a God-driven circle.  Care for these orphans was a dream, then reality, then sense of loss after the eviction and take-over, and now we can be intimately involved again.  Church of the Saviour's Christmas Eve special offering has been designated once again to support our Haitian ministry partners.  As described above, the partnership has expanded to include Raising Hope Ministries, in addition to Servants In Fellowship and Faith Academy.  Thank you for prayerfully considering your financial support and your on-going prayers!  If you have any questions, please contact Barb Daniel at 891-4564 or barb_daniel@yahoo.com.

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