As you are likely aware from ministry newsletters and updates, the situation in Port-au-Prince has been the worst we’ve seen in recent history. This affected Pastor Poyis and our children in more ways than we can count. Resources have been extremely limited for the length of the gang’s control, and violence is still too much of a daily reality in the region.
We praise the Lord that we were able to move Pastor Poyis and our children out of Port-au-Prince—especially because we saw things get much worse in the days and weeks immediately before the move. Without any warning, the government suddenly began sending agents to Pastor Poyis demanding to take children back to their families. This obviously came as a shock to Pastor Poyis, as Haitian authorities had led him to believe that all our children were true orphans, rescued from a life of slavery. It is clear now that the Haitian government lied about these children’s backgrounds, knowing our ministry would love and provide for them much better than the majority of Haitian orphanages. Despite Pastor Poyis’s efforts to prove that the children were, in effect, legally his, they removed forty of these children to be placed in different homes.
This news has been a heartbreak for Pastor Poyis, our remaining children, and our entire ministry team, and we felt it necessary to communicate this to you as soon as possible. I know you share heavy hearts with us in this difficult news. Despite our brokenness, we are thankful for the opportunity to have shared the love of Jesus Christ with every single child. We know that each child has seen what a good Father God is, due to the faithfulness of Pastor Poyis in their lives as “Papa.” We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have planted seeds of gospel hope, and we ask you to join us in praying that these children will be a bright light for Christ. We trust that God is continuing a good work in them.
Please also pray for Pastor Poyis and our remaining seventy-eight children. These kids are brothers and sisters who have been bonded together through heavy trials, and we know this has been an added challenge for them.
I know many of you support our children through our sponsorship program, and some of the forty children identified by the government have been part of that program. Our team will be in contact with each of you with an update.
I want you to know that Connect 2 Ministries remains committed to our mission, to the children we care for, and to the work God has called us to do. In fact, Pastor Poyis and I have already had discussions about the timing of opportunities to rescue more restavek children and fill all our Children’s Homes to capacity. Our team is also committed to doing our own research on each child that is brought to our Homes to ensure that they are truly restaveks in need of a loving home and family.
As we settle into this new phase, we are excited for what God will continue to do in Haiti. We believe that God is preparing us for greater things ahead, and we are eager to see how our ministry can expand and flourish in this new environment. To hear more about this ministry expansion, you can follow along with our blog.
Thank you for standing with us. Your support has made a significant difference in the lives of our children and staff, and I am grateful for each of you. Thank you for your support of what God has called us to do. We press on, hand in hand, with you.
In His Grip, Greg |
