• submit a
  Prayer Request
• Pat's Perspective
• Sermons Online
• Daily Calendar
• Newsletter
• Bulletin
• Resources

New Dining Pavillion

It has been a year and a half since we first visited the Bighouse Orphanage Community in Les Cayes, Haiti and our lives have not been the same since.  After becoming a part of the orphans' stories, there is no way we could ever remain unchanged.  It was an exciting, inspiring, and risky journey until the earthquake.  Now things have changed dramatically.

Britney Winn, Nycki Sorensen, and I were in Les Cayes when the earthquake hit southern Haiti.  We knew immediately that we were safe and we were able to send some initial text messages to our families.  Our other immediate thoughts were of the orphans.  Within a short time, we were able to find Pastor Jean Elysee, the Orphanage Director, who told us that all the kids were fine and the buildings had not suffered any significant damage.  That was certainly good news because we can now look forward to more challenges and more opportunities to do God's work.

New Playground-Under Construction

Over the past twelve months, First Methodist's Haiti Initiative, made up of an intertwined body of people who have been captivated by the stories and gracious in their giving and support, has helped the malnourished children of Bighouse receive a constant, healthy food supply as well as medical attention.  We have sent five teams down to take part in projects such as latrine and shower construction, playground construction, water well repair, vacation bible school, mini-soccer camps, and mobile medical clinics.  The children are growing in weight and energy and some of the economic orphans have been reunited with their families where they can be cared for and nurtured.

New Latrines

Now, because of the earthquake and destruction in and around Port au Prince, hundreds of thousands of people have moved out to the provinces.  As you might imagine, the fragile infrastructure existing before the quake has been damaged and with the new stresses from the evacuees, new support is needed.  I know that more natural and economic orphans will be coming into Bighouse for care.  The support of these children and their families is an opportunity sent to us by God.

Suffering and beauty walk hand in hand in a little place called Bighouse, just compassion and risk or love and selflessness.  Thank God that He has so creatively and mysteriously sent His inviting whisper our way, daring us to come along, and promising that our lives will never stay the same once we've really experienced life as he wants us to.  It has been an adventurous year, and I look forward to the next!

New Showers

I don't know when our next team trip will be scheduled because of the limits to travel into Haiti, but we will be going there as soon as possible.  In the mean time, please join with me in supporting Haitians through our Cite' Lespwa project or the Bighouse Project.

If you ever have questions about our ministry in Haiti, a past or future trip, our child sponsorship program, or the ways that you can give support or travel to Haiti with us, please do not hesitate to contact me.

God Bless You,

Rev. Hu Debo
Minister of Global Missions Outreach
hu.debo@yahoo.com

Haiti Initiative Update - August, 2009

Our Haiti Mission Initiative is continuing.  Last month a group of college age men and women led by Mark Sorensen traveled to Les Cayes and held Vacation Bible School at the Bighouse Orphanage and another Church.  They were also able to build cabinets for the children's' clothes, build desks for the school, oversee drilling the water well much deeper, provide vitamins for all the children for a whole year, fund regular doctor and nurse visits to the orphanage and fund a nutritious more-balanced diet for the children.

You can follow up on the team's activities on YouTube at the team's channel Haitimission2009.  The team's activities were also documented recently on a local TV news broadcast.  The video can be found at Church Brings Hope to Haiti.

Lauvilia, Age 6	Kenson, Age 8	Rose, Age 4	Stephanie, Age 8

Haiti Initiative Update - March, 2009

FUMC's Haiti Mission Initiative has been continuing to extend its work in and around Les Cayes, Haiti.

In the last two months, several program staff members have visited our Mission Partners to learn about their visions and discuss joint plans and future goals.

The staff members met with Pastor Fontilus Jeanty, the Circuit Superintendent of the Les Cayes Circuit of the Methodist Church of Haiti, who told us of his vision for the twenty congregations in southwest Haiti which are his responsibility. He told us of ways he plans to extend his ministry and ways we can partner with our Methodist Sisters and Brothers in Haiti.

We also visited the Bighouse School and Orphanage outside of Les Cayes, Haiti where we met with Pastor Elysee Jean, the founder and director of the orphanage and school, toured the facility, and evaluated the physical status of the 80 orphans living there. Pastor Jean shared with us the history of the school and orphanage and his vision for its future. We also met with a group of 18 community leaders to discuss their vision for their countryside community of 7000 to learn about Mission Partnership possibilities.

Since our visits, we have been meeting to discuss future trip objectives and team makeup. So far, we have two additional team trips in planning stages. The first team is to be a college age group who will travel to Haiti in July. Their mission will be to provide Vacation Bible School for the orphans and other community children and to build a playground for the school. Mark Sorensen is leading this trip.

The second trip in the planning stage will be in October and will be primarily Medical/Dental in its focus. Many of the short term needs of the Bighouse community centered around the poor availability of Medical and Dental care for the orphans and community residents. Also, many of Pastor Jeanty’s outlying congregations are in medically and dentally underserved areas. If you are interested in this trip, please contact Rev Hu Debo.

We are excited about the many possibilities our congregation has to make a difference in the Les Cayes area of Haiti. If you would like to find out more about the work we are planning, please contact Rev Hu Debo (742-6413 or hu.debo@yahoo.com).

2008 - Beginnings of the Haiti Initiative

Online
Giving