Haiti

In just 4 short weeks, 10 students (including myself) and our leader will be boarding a plane to spend the next three months in Haiti and the Dominican Republic ministering to those in need and sharing the Good News of Jesus. I’m sure everyone has heard about the earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince, the capital, in January of 2010 that devastated the already poorest country in the Western Hemisphere where 80% of the population lived under the poverty line and 54% in utter poverty before the earthquake, subsisting on less than a $1 a day and the formal unemployment rates ranging from 70-80%. It is estimated that over 1 Million were displaced from their homes and hundreds of thousands lost their lives.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM), the Mission organization that I am serving with, has been serving in Haiti for over 24 years. Our team will fly in to the Dominican Republic, as the flights are cheaper and we will be finishing up there, and then heading to Pot-au-Prince for three weeks, then St. Marc for three weeks, and back to the Dominican Republic for five weeks. In Haiti we will be doing various humanitarian aid, mercy ministries, and a mini DTS (Discipleship Training School). This will be a much smaller scale of the 12 -week training that we have been receiving here in Kona. The topics we will be teaching on are: Hearing God’s Voice, Repentance/Forgiveness, Relationships (guys and girls), How to have an intimate relationship with God, Prayer/Bible, Spiritual Warfare, Father Heart of God, and Holy Spirit. We will be staying in a refugee camp! I can’t tell you how excited I am about going and living with the Haitians for the time we are going to be there.

Haiti’s population is just over 9 million. Due to the excess mortality from AIDS, there is low life expectancy, higher infant morality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates and changes in distribution of population by age and sex than would normally be expected. Only 3.4% of the population is over the age of 65, 58.5% are between 15-64 and 38.1% under age 14. The median age is 20.2. In 2007, it was estimated that 120,000 were living with HIV/AIDS. The education system is really weak, only 52.9% of Haitians over 15 can read or write.

The degree of major infectious diseases is high for food or waterborne diseases, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever, vector borne disease, dengue fever, malaria water contact disease and leptospirosis.

80% of Haitian’s are Roman Catholic, 16% are Protestant, however roughly have of the population practices voodoo. Even those that claim to be Christian, practice voodoo and Christianity simultaneously, so the spiritual climate is very interesting. The country made a 200-year ‘pack’ that they would practice voodoo.

According to the CIA World Factbook: Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. The economy has recovered a little in recent years, registering positive growth since 2005, however four tropical storms in 2008 severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. A second version of the legislation, passed in October 2008 and dubbed HOPE II, has further improved the export environment for the apparel sector by extending preferences to 2018; the apparel sector accounts for two-thirds of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. Haiti received debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative in 2009. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.

Haiti is a transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe. There is substantial bulk cash smuggling activity and Columbian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions, there is significant pervasive corruption and Haiti is a significant consumer of cannabis.

Spain, France, the continent of Africa and later the Unites States have all been crucial in shaping traditional Haitian cuisine. Several foreign countries have gained control of Haiti over its history, introducing food and ideas from their native lands. Early Haitian tribes cultivated fruits and vegetable such as guavas, pineapples, cassava, papayas, sweet potatoes and corn. Europeans arrived soon after and began introducing oranges, limes, mangoes, rice and sugarcane. Slaves from Africa were transported to Haiti to work sugarcane plantations.

Before the earthquake, Haiti was not on the verge of disaster, it was already past it! Haiti needs all the help it can get! Some of the top needs are food, drinking water, medical supplies and shelter. Haitians are extremely vulnerable because of poor infrastructure and extreme poverty. We need to take care of the poor in times of crisis!

Please take some time to watch the below. It shows a vision for sustainable development and presents a realistic view on Haiti. www.fondwa.org

PLEASE PRAY for Haiti!

Pray that:

· God would be glorified and His glory to be known.

· Haitians would not doubt, but cry out to God.

· For those who believe, it is a great opportunity for harvesting souls. Deuteronomy 4:30 talks about God watching for those who will turn to Him and obey in times of tribulation. When so many are bowed low, pray that they truly come to realize there is NO other Savior!

· For God’s Mercy to be on Haiti and its people.

· Those on the outside would have hearts of compassion to give out of their surplus to fill the deficit that is widening in Haiti.

· That we all extend ourselves any way possible to secure our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

· God would bring Peace among the people and prevent violence, riots, and more crime.

· For healing to those who are broken in body and/or spirit.

· For the local government to lead selflessly and efficiently.

· For nations of the world to be moved with compassion and a desire to serve.

· Survivors do no lose hope and will look upward for faith, understanding, hope, and love.

· For unity and reconciliation among the Haitian people.

· For a deeper global understanding and solidarity between the wealthy and the poor.

Please all pray for our team going to Haiti!

Pray that:

· For unity in our team, that we would move together as ONE!

· For strong immune systems, that no one would get sick or injured!

· For clear communication with our contacts.

· For the messages and teaching we are preparing to share, that they would be clear and point directly to Jesus.

· People would see a difference in us and they would stop and ask us what we have, because they want it to.

· For finances to be released for everyone on the team and for us to bless those in need.

· Many would come to know Jesus through us.

Some photogenX staff went to Haiti in February and one of the stories I have heard was how they could hear women being raped at night, so I know that we will see and face some difficult things. Pray for protection and strength for us!

If you would like to support our trip and help those in Haiti, please prayfully consider donating (there is a ‘Donate’ button to the right on this page.. Any amount will make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, for all your prayer and support.

I would love to hear from you and know how I can pray for you. Please drop me a note in the mail (Christine Fontaine, University of the Nations, photogenX- April-2010, 75-5851 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua Kona, HI, 96740) or send me an email (wdjd4u@me.com).