submitted by Kim Gryglewicz, Northeast Coordinator for Joshua Expeditions

As a former missionary to Haiti, I was thrilled to see so many people burdened for the country after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Schools and churches throughout America have contacted Joshua Expeditions to learn how they can help, and JE has the incredible opportunity of partnering with a ministry in Haiti to build homes for displaced families. This past spring I was able to lead a group of California students on a life-changing trip to Titanyen, Haiti, to assist in the building of a new community. Before the earthquake, Titanyen was a remote, rural area with a relatively small population, but the regional devastation has transformed it into a central marketplace surrounded by sprawling tent cities. The area is now a reflection of the ongoing issues that exist around Port-au-Prince, namely the lack of permanent and sturdy housing, clean drinking water, and access to medical facilities.

The local ministries in Titanyen are committed to building at least 500 homes for displaced families, and they partner with groups of North Americans to work alongside Haitian builders in the new community locations. Through matching funds, our JE students were able to pay for a brand new home for one special family, and the group worked hard on painting projects, planting cactus ‘fencing’, and building porches for the new structures. We also had a great time playing with the neighborhood children in a “U.S. vs Haiti” soccer game. As the game went on, more and more Haitian children came to join, and we Americans were thoroughly entertained by their attempts to play soccer on the rocky dirt field.

In addition to our ministry in Titanyen, the students were able to visit children in a village orphanage who had come to live there after losing parents in the earthquake. We sang songs, told Bible stories, and made crafts with the children, and many of the students wanted to stay longer. There’s no doubt that Haiti gets into your heart, and we were constantly reminded of the continuing need for prayer and support of the Haitian people.

Joshua Expeditions is again partnering with Haitian missionaries in 2012, and we would love to take your group with us. Our goal is to do all we can to build 500 new homes in Titanyen as soon as possible. To that end, we are committed to matching funds raised by your school or church to build a new home during this next season.

Contact us today to learn how your group can be on mission in Haiti!