What does this mean for the future of Haiti Awake?

I have to admit. I felt this was coming. But now that the announcement has been officially made, it does feel so final, so real, so heavy.

As I sat in Haiti at our 10th anniversary celebration in October, I felt as if I was holding a holy moment in time, a moment I would look back on with great nostalgia and longing. Little did we know that October trip would be my last trip to Haiti for the foreseeable future.

When Pastor Steeve came to the US for the month of June, little did we know that would be his last trip to the United States for the foreseeable future.

But God knew. In His infinite knowledge, He knew. Nothing catches God by surprise.

“Standing here
Not knowing how we’ll get through this test
But holding onto faith, You know best
Nothing can catch You by surprise
You got this figured out and You’re watching us now”

— Travis Greene, Made a Way

What does the absence of commercial air travel mean for the future of Haiti Awake? Very simply, it means we will need to adapt - again. We are adept at adapting as that has been the only way to keep the ministry moving forward in the chaos of the last 6.5 years.

All these years we have been saying, “These are hard days in Haiti.” And we so long for a better day, a day we cannot yet see. Though I have known the following verse most of my life, it now carries a completely different meaning.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

— Proverbs 13:12

Please continue to pray for the communities we serve in Haiti. While my heart is grieving from afar, this chaos and dysfunction is daily life for those I have come to love as family. It is hard to explain the great suffering that is taking place in close proximity to both of our facilities and the incredibly difficult issues the Haiti Awake staff faces on a personal level day-by-day.

I cannot emphasize enough how much a Google Meet would mean to staff and children. If you would give 30 minutes, it would be so encouraging.

“But to a friend, time is an investment of the heart, not just the hand. Friends spend time. ”

— Sara Hagerty

With all of my heart I desire to return to Haiti as soon as the possibility presents itself. I long to give hugs, to have face-to-face conversations, to share a meal, to laugh together. Perhaps that day will come sooner than we expect. But until that day, we will continue to remember to remember - just like we did as we sat together for our anniversary celebration less than two months ago.

“Remember the way He led us up to the top of the highest mountain
Remember the way He carried us through the deepest dark
Remember His promises for every step on the road ahead
Look where we’ve been and where we’re going
And remember to remember.”

— Steven Curtis Chapman

Reflecting on 10 years of ministry

10 years. Hills. Valleys.

10 years.  Gains. Losses.

10 years.  Laughter.  Tears.

10 years. Hellos. Goodbyes.

10 years.  Building.  Tearing down.

10 years. Hope.  Despair.

10 years. Teaching. Learning.

10 years. Success. Failure.

10 years. Celebration. Mourning.

10 years. Joy.  Sorrow. 

10 years. 

He is good. 

He is faithful. 

He is kind. 

He is worthy.

Look at God! Glwa pou Bondye toutan!

A number of weeks ago, we stepped out in faith and opened a 2nd community location - CCS Caradeux. We knew that in doing so we would need to hire additional staff. We did not have funding for this, nor did we have sponsors for the 10 children we invited to be part of the program's beginning, but we believed God was calling us to grow our operations.

Today we would like to share that six of the 10 children are now sponsored, and this week we have received unexpected contributions that will fully fund the new location through the end of the year.

Some of these children came to church on Sunday for the first time. Church attendance is not required, but weekly the children at both programs are reminded that they are welcome. How wonderful it was to welcome them at EEGC!

Look at God! Glwa pou Bondye toutan!

How thankful we are for those who continue to bless our ministry through your generosity. You make it possible for us to invest in our community - our communities - as we share the hope of the Gospel through Christ-honoring relationships.

"In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:4-6

Good news from Haiti!

Some positive updates from our friends in Haiti!

We have recently had more children return to Port au Prince and re-enter our community. We have also been able to resume many of our normal activities, such as English lessons, music classes, and sports. Another piece of good news is shipments from MFI are able to be made and received again, so packages are able to be brought to the children’s home and into the community.

While times are still uncertain, and there is still immense suffering happening in Haiti, small victories and little bits of progress remind us that there is always hope.

Continue to pray for Haiti.

Quick update

Hello, Friends!

We realize it’s been weeks since I gave the last update about the situation in the country of Haiti.

Today, I want to give another quick update.

The situation in Haiti remains very uncertain. As insecurity continues to rise, it seems life expectancy in Haiti is becoming shorter and shorter based on what we are seeing, hearing and living day-by-day. But we can testify and shout out loud on how God remains faithful and good through all of these circumstances.

By God’s grace, despite the challenges, some schools in the community have re-opened their doors, and Haiti Awake’s Center continues to welcome the children from the community, as well.

Even though progress is slow, we are grateful that our activities at Haiti Awake such as English class, homework help, computer class, and library are gradually resuming, allowing us to continue serving and supporting the children from our beloved community.

Also, our church is able to meet again on Sundays, and we are so grateful for the privilege of having church at the juvenile facility (CERMICOL) again on Sunday afternoon. We missed moments like these. What a blessing!

Friends, thank you for your prayers and your continued support! You are a valuable part of our team.

Until next time!

Pastor Steeve Derard

Suffering too great for words

“When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him…
When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him...  

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.”  Job 2:11-13

For the last several nights, I have woken up multiple times to pray.  Each night there has been a specific member of our community for whom the Holy Spirit was leading me to intercede.  And last night when I woke up, I was not only led to pray for one specific family, but this verse from Job came to my mind, as well -   “No one said a word to Job . . . his suffering was too great for words.”

And that’s where we find ourselves today.  There are no words.

It all happened so quickly.

Last Thursday, we had an amazing Google Meet call with so many of you.  All those on the Haiti Awake team were encouraged and refreshed.  Friday we ran programs with a new plan, and it was incredible.  We were all hopeful as we looked to the future.  Saturday there was a phone call with a sponsor.   Once again, it was a sweet time that filled everyone with joy.

And then the afternoon came.

The events that have transpired since Saturday at noon defy any explanation.  Members of our staff and community have suffered staggering losses and disappointment, but we will not comment on those matters publicly. In an effort to preserve people's privacy and help them hold their dignity, we have decided not to share stories we do not believe are ours to tell.

In full transparency, however, our suffering is great.  Our sorrow is real.  We are in a time of lament.  

But due to the current circumstances, we can not all sit on the ground together.   We can not gather around the one family whom we all wish to hold close at the moment.

We can, however, stand together in solidarity and silence by going dark for the next seven days.

The groanings have been too deep for words many times over the last six years, but this week we have reached a level of sorrow even we can not articulate.  We find ourselves in the depths of affliction.

Nevertheless, we do not want you to mistake our silence for capitulation, despair, or defeat.  No. Senior leadership has consulted together and reached the decision that in order to heal, in order to process recent events, in order to find the path forward, as an organization we need to rest, breathe, and, in the absence of words from others, hear the voice of God.  We are doing this with the support of the Board of Directors of Haiti Awake.

Please pray with us as we discern what God has for us in the days ahead.

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.    ”

— 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

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If you have a need that requires immediate attention, please contact Kaitlyn Stephens at 910-599-1753 or kaitlynmariestephens@gmail.com.

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Thank you for your prayers and support!

Friends, the political situation in Haiti remains complex, with ongoing challenges and tensions persisting day after day.

As you know, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021, at his residence in Port-au-Prince. Today we still have a de facto prime minister who insists on remaining in power at all costs. This creates a serious problem for the country as a whole.

Additionally, gang activities continue to pose a significant problem, impacting the safety and the well-being of people in my community.

As a result, schools have been forced to close for about three weeks, not knowing when our kids will be able to get back again. Our children have to stay home without being able to go out. It’s like we are all in prison.

Public transportation has been paralyzed due to some serious roadblocks, violence, panic, and fear. Even our program at Haiti Awake had to cease operations for a time.

Friends, the challenges are enormous, but despite these challenges, for the last three days, by God’s grace, our programs at Haiti Awake have restarted to provide hope and support to the children in the community. We are incredibly thankful that the community center at Haiti Awake remains open to welcome the kids and let them know that they have a friend in us and that they are loved.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Blessings!

Music Lessons Behind Prison Walls

I’m frequently asked, “How are things in Haiti?” to which I offer this question: “Are you asking about Haiti, or do you want to know about Haiti Awake because these are vastly different answers.”

Haiti is on the edge of the abyss, and I do not speak in hyperbole. Haiti Awake, however, is thriving, by God's grace.

We continue to move forward, and we are so happy to share a new program - music lessons at CERMICOL. Because of the generous donations of friends who have a heart for prison ministry, we were able to purchase a complete set of drums, and they were safely shipped to Haiti.

Now the fun begins.

Every Sunday for the next six months from 2-4 p.m. four boys will receive music lessons, specifically drum lessons. This first group will finish in December, and new boys will have the same opportunity.

Glwa pou Bondye.

R.I.P., EDH (City Power)

It’s been about two months since we don’t have City Power in our area of Haiti. Not even one day.

It’s been two months since our community was immersed in the dark. Maybe EDH has been kidnapped and killed. Who knows since kidnapping is still our current reality in Haiti.

Right now, we are experiencing a heat we never experienced before, and so many mosquitoes, as well. Notice, that it’s not even July yet.

I wish people in my area could have EDH at night, so that they could use a fan to help them fight the heat and the mosquitoes.

Fact: Yesterday, I went to three big grocery stores looking for some ice, so my family could have some cold water to drink. I found nothing. (I just feel so sad.)

Also, I also received a call from CERMICOL (the juvenile prison), telling me that they are in a complete darkness, as well. (All I can think is just wow.) They are looking for someone to help them get some lights with solar panel, because the absence of the City Power, affects everyone and everywhere.

It’s so hard right now, even for people to have their phones charged.

At Haiti Awake, we are so thankful and blessed beyond words that we have a solar system at the community center.

But it’s so sad to see the whole community in the dark.