While the news from Port-au-Prince focuses on the violence and political chaos that continue to be very upsetting, we wanted to share a brighter side of the conditions in Haiti. The eleven churches and schools in the La Gonâve Haiti Partnership continue to flourish on the island of La Gonâve, which is located 16 miles across the bay from the Haiti mainland. In the past, this isolation discouraged people from living there and caused many to move to Port-au-Prince in search of jobs, but now the separation has been a blessing. While the cost of basic supplies and construction materials has gone sky-high and travel to the mainland remains extremely risky, the remote island has remained safe and many who left for Port-au-Prince have returned. Thanks to our consistent financial support and faithful prayers, the churches and schools and partnership programs are open and functioning.

Here are a few examples:

• Over the summer, teachers from all eleven church schools in the La Gonâve Haiti Partnership were able to gather for teacher training workshops and be encouraged, inspired, and prepared for the upcoming school year with all its challenges.
• The long established and successful “Women’s Project”  has been converted into a full fledged Professional School for men and women for this school year. The students will learn the skills they need to become highly employable or even start their own new business. It will also be a great way to reach out across church affiliations to educate the wider community while sharing the gospel.
• The necessary arrangements have been made to offer high school graduates the ability to take college-level classes online through the high school computer lab since they can no longer go to college in Port-au-Prince. 
• The new school, St. Margaret and St. Mary Middle School, is now fully operational with enrollment in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades this year. The windows and doors for the new climate-controlled computer lab have finally arrived, thanks to the supply lines on the mainland gradually opening up again.
• The Medika Mamba, a peanut-based paste produced in Haiti for malnourished children between the ages of six months and five years, is back in production. A new supply is due to arrive on La Gonâve in the near future.
• Many of the eleven schools have new school furniture, all of the students have school uniforms and school supplies and all of the schools are providing the critical free lunches.
• The dormant music program is being revived at the high school. Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince which has always had an amazing choir and music program is now sending teachers to help our program get started again.

St. Jean-Baptiste Church and School Campus Priority Need

St. Philip’s sister church campus is located in a valley at the base of a mountain. When we first partnered with St. Jean-Baptiste back in 1991, there was a low cement wall running behind the church. We used to sit on it under the tall coconut trees. However, over the years, due to the water running down the side of the mountain, the trees have disappeared and the wall has crumbled and washed away. The grounds surrounding our church and the two school buildings have gone from a grassy field to dirt, to gullies. The very foundation of our church building is being threatened by this erosion. A new wall is necessary to stop the erosion.

We also need the wall for security. With the price of food and supplies going higher and higher, the people are hungry and desperate. It is more important than ever to be able to secure our church and school supplies. If we want to be able to provide a school lunch to our children, we must have a secure location to store the supplies. A new wall must be built soon to stop the erosion and provide security.

The good news is that we received funding to begin the construction of the wall. We are praying that God will provide the remaining amount needed to finish this important project.