The orphanage was started with Ray and Bonnie VanSlyke in 2006. It has been a huge challenge as they battle with the culture, spiritual forces of wickedness, wicked people, and sickness. We know the Lord brought them to us to start the ministry at which they worked at faithfully until 2018. God had a plan in place as change came. While the years passed, two different couples were being trained for leading the orphanage.
Mark and Kristine Bender were coming to Haiti working with a ministry involved with providing clean water in remote areas. In the meantime, they were staying at the compound and working with the kids alongside the VanSlykes. As they got to know the kids, a burden developed to help the kids become strong Christians and launch into life as productive Christian citizens.
This change-over occurred at the end of 2018. It has not been without its struggles as the kids have had to adjust to new leadership. But God has been faithful and we are making progress.
One of the key areas of work has been in education. Kristine felt a huge need to improve the schooling for the kids and the need to give the kids a route to finding a trade and path to get there.
We invested in the ABEKA education program provided by video. This has been an excellent way to bring high quality education to the kids, along with Biblical training that is involved with each class. It is an expensive program, but we have seen God supply the need.
Our First Child was Ricardo!
The next step as the kids finish high school is to move some of them into higher education and some of them into training into some kind of trades. We have several who are beginning to enter trade schools, and still take some education classes.
We have had 7 kids graduate, which has been no easy task. Your prayers and support are desperately needed. Nothing happens in Haiti without a cost and a battle. Our desire has always been to see these kids stay in Haiti, have solid Christian families, and be solid Christians.
Our first graduation took place in June 2022. Seven young people endured the challenges of taking the ABEKA curriculum and graduated. Their desires are now to find a place in life where they can do what the Lord wants them to do that matches their abilities, interests, and His will. Four of the girls have moved to the Dominican to pursue education and find work. One of the boys has moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands and is working and helping in churches. He hopes to become useful in multi media organizing. Another boy desires to be a history teacher but first he is taking electrical training at a trade school in Cap Haitian.
