Update from Pastor Yvel
Greetings to all our friends in Jesus Christ.
School life is really heard in my country. In most countries schools open in August or September to close in June. Here when I was a child school started the first Monday of October to terminate in June. At the beginning of the year 2000 the Haitian government decided to open schools in September to be closed in June. This decision has been applied ten times during the two decades. Social or political problems come often over the school opening. This year school opening was announced for the first day of October, a Tuesday. Haitian people have in mind to send their children to school on the first day of the week and not in the middle of the week. Finally, school opening has been done on October 7th for a group and on October 14th for everybody. Many schools are still closed. Their places are occupied by bandits, or parents have moved from their houses because of actions by the armed gangs. Some school principals rented a new place to receive the children.
The biggest problem is the parents can’t pay scholarships for their children because more then 85 percent of the schools belong to the private sector. The Protestant contribution in Haitian education is enormous. Where there is a Christian mission in Haiti pastors opened a school to welcome children in the backcountry. Many of the children would not know how to read and to write. The service of our schools to the population is great. During the last thirty years our schools sponsored by you have prepared many children who have become teachers, lawyers, nurses, engineers, accountants, doctors, etc.
You have participated in a great work through your gifts to our churches. Even though there are armed gangs everywhere in Haiti many have learned what to do to get money without robbing the properties of others.
Thank you for supporting our ministry with your money!
Our schools in Carrefour, Palma, Leogane, Carrefour Dufort, Corail Lemaire, Rosinette, Decouze, and Doco welcome children to be educated. We always claim your support to continue the mission to work with poor people in the backcountry where the government forgets them.
Our big dream is the construction of a vocational school to help people. We have land and human resources, but we don’t have financial support. Pray with us to be able to provide a profession to poor people in our troubled country.
Many families lost their jobs by leaving the places where they are living because bandits broke or burnt their home. A meal is a luxury for many Haitians now. A feeding program in our schools is a great opportunity to share something with hungry people where we have schools.
Even though we are living in some troubled moments in Haiti our ministry is still alive at Carrefour and the backcountry. We ask God to bless and protect you in everything you do for your family, your neighbors and the human being.
Sincerely yours,
JEAN YVEL CALIXTE
Note from Pastor Terry Major:
Many years ago, Pastor Andre was able to have a vocational school with the help of government sponsorship, but that closed when President Duvalier left office. The property has been used as a primary school and kindergarten. I’m not sure what this new vision is for vocational training, but it was very successful years ago.
Support for widows and orphans is an ongoing expense for the Mission, as is paying teachers a living wage. Helping with medical and other expenses falls on the leadership of the churches as well, and they take care of that through their weekly tithes and offerings to the best of their ability.
I deposit gifts to Bank of America on behalf of the Mission. I send deposits once a month and then email the Mission all the information regarding specific designations and amounts.
(Any special gifts for Ghislaine Louis can be sent directly to her at: 1261 NW 56th Avenue, Lauderhill, FL 33313.)
Thank you to Wilkes Faith Church in NC for allowing me to share the work of ICA with them in August. I am happy to come and share with any church or group!!
