One evening, two men approached a pastor and asked for all his money while his car was being filled at a fueling station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. “I don’t have any,” replied the pastor. Two gunshots later, he lay dead in a pool of blood. The gangsters rifled his pockets and roared away on their motorcycle. His wife, now a widow, was expecting a baby and began to have complications. His teenage daughter screamed hysterically at night after witnessing her father’s cruel death. The family eventually moved to a safer area, but none too soon. A few days after their move, a gang murdered several hundred people from their former neighborhood, burning the bodies with tires in a mass grave.
Tragic stories like this are all too common in Haiti today, especially in Port-au-Prince, where cruel gangs kill, steal, and kidnap helpless Haitians. Thousands have fled, raising the cost of housing and essentials for the rest of Haiti. With more people than available jobs, many fathers and mothers are left wondering how they will provide for their families.
Inita fled Port-au-Prince when her life was threatened by a high-ranking gang member. For a year, she struggled to make an income. When she was given the opportunity to join one of CAM’s Work-for-Wages projects, she walked two hours every morning and evening for two weeks to earn a wage while digging trenches at the work site. One of Inita’s co-workers said, “This project is helping in two ways. It’s helpful to the community, and it’s helpful for me as well because my family is displaced, and this project gives me funds to help my family.”
What is the solution for Haiti?
Food, medicine, schooling, and other aid bring much-needed relief, but long-lasting transformation requires a change of heart. Many of Haiti’s problems stem from the spiritual darkness of voodooism, a mixture of African religions with Catholicism that keeps Haiti entrenched in greed, corruption, and immorality. Each of our programs provides opportunities to proclaim God’s Word to people in spiritual darkness.
A nurse who dispenses medicine provided by CAM’s Medicines for Multitudes program shared that some of her patients’ illnesses are caused by voodoo spells and curses. She uses these opportunities to encourage them to surrender to Jesus who has power over the evil spirits.
The Bible-based lessons taught in SALT Savings Groups have helped some savings group members break destructive habits such as drinking and buying lottery tickets.
Tears streamed down the cheeks of an eighth-grade boy supported by Haiti Sponsor-A-Child during a recent Bible class. When the teacher spoke with him afterwards, the boy committed his life to Jesus. Praise God with us!
Eighteen-year-old Bertide joined a Work-for-Wages project to earn money to finish high school. During the daily devotional, the pastor told the workers that God is a loving father who longs for us to be His children. Touched, she surrendered her life to Jesus. “I was under Satan before, but now I want to change,” she told our staff. “I thank God that I found this project.”
Responding to cries for food from suffering prisoners, school children, and others in dire need presents many opportunities to share the Good News. Haitian prisoners, often serving a life sentence in deplorable conditions, are especially touched when the Gospel is preached.
There have been many disappointments in Haiti in recent years, and the country’s situation isn’t improving. But seeing people find new life in Christ through your prayer and support inspires us to continue being a channel to minister to the people of Haiti. Your continued prayer and support is needed and will be a blessing.
Most donations in response to this mailing will be directed toward Work-for-Wages projects, but some will also be used to cover funding shortfalls for other programs in Haiti. Our budget for Work-for-Wages in 2025 is $900,000, and to date we have received $112,000. Our total budget for Haiti in 2025 is over $5 million.
God bless you!
To help support the Help for Haiti program, please click Donate to give a gift.
