So Many Good Things Happening…
In the midst of challenging times all over the world, I am greatly encouraged by all the wonderful things happening through BGM in both Haiti and the Mississippi Delta.
Full-Time Mobile Medical Unit in Haiti
We’ve completed a big step towards our goal of having a Mobile Medical Unit in the mountains of Thoman, Haiti. University of Kansas medical student, Nate Grabill, spent many weeks last year walking the mountains above Thoman and discovered 19 very isolated villages with no health care, no running water, no electricity, and little else. Approximately 7,000 people live primitive lifestyles in mud huts in these villages.
Nate developed a plan in which we will have three full-time Haitian workers – a doctor, a nurse, a helper. They will travel each week to the same four villages in the mountains. The residents of the 19 villages can access one of the four villages where the clinics will meet each week. Our medical team, all of whom are strong Christians, will treat illnesses and share the hope of the gospel.
One of the keys to success in this new Mobile Medical Unit is a vehicle that can travel to each of the four villages and carry needed supplies. Thanks to generous donors, incluidng those who gave to the Fall Campaign last year, we purchased a large 4-wheel vehicle in Kansas and had it modified for our purposes.
Once again, KLLM Trucking blessed us and shipped it from Kansas to the port near Ft. Lauderdale, FL. From there, it was placed on a ship and sent to St. Marc, Haiti where it arrived a week ago.
Then, our long-time friend and employee, Miguelson, went to work and managed to get the vehicle through customs and all the way to Thoman. He did all of this while there has been civil unrest in Haiti and the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. Oh, and one more thing. He managed all of this from Hawaii where he has been getting an advanced law degree from the University of Hawaii!
God blessed us enormously by getting the vehicle and accompanying supplies all the way to Thoman in one piece! Praise the Lord!!!
The vehicle in Kansas before being shipped to Haiti
The vehicle at the Hope Center in Thoman. This wonderful
tool made it to Thoman this past Sunday!
Latest House
The Gerome family received the third house we recently built in Galette Chambon, Haiti. Pastor Jean Jerard Gerome is 57, and his wife Denise is 53. Their sixteen year old, Esther, is in our high school. Genese is 15, and she and the two younger siblings, Emmanuel (14) and Bejaline, are sponsored in our school.
Pastor Gerome used to be the associate pastor at a local church near one of our schools. The head pastor died three years ago, and Pastor Gerome has been head pastor ever since. Pastors in Haiti are bi-vocational because most of the congregations in rural areas like Galette Chambon do not have much money to support a pastor. This is the case with Pastor Gerome. He tries to do some farming on the side to make extra money, but it doesn’t help a lot.
The family of six had been living in a small, one-room, tin structure they built not long ago because the dirt house they were living in was falling apart. They had been praying for a very long time for God to make a way for them to be able to get a concrete house. The church could not afford to build a house of concrete for them, but they recently helped them build one made of tin about six months ago. It was not a very stable structure and would not stand the test of the upcoming hurricane season.
Pastor Gerome always has a smile on his face and is happy to greet visitors to his church. BGM has held several mobile clinics in his church as well as VBS events.
Pastor Gerome, his wife, and two of his
children in front of their old tin house
Pastor Gerome’s smile is contagious!
The new house. It must have been laundry day!
Side view of the new house. It will soon be painted.
Almost Complete
We are getting close to completing construction of the cafetorium in Thoman, Haiti. Over 200 children will be able to eat lunch at one time in this new facility. In addition, there will be graduations and countless other assemblies in the days ahead.
The roof is on!
Feeding the Hungry
Hunger has become a big issue in Haiti, even more than usual. The civil unrest and now the coronavirus are disrupting supply chains and marketplaces.
Thanks to some very kind donors, we recently held a food distribution in Galette Chambon in which we distributed rice, beans, oil, masks, and soap. Vladimir and our local leadership team planned the entire distribution and it went off without a hitch!
Also, because of our wonderful child sponsors, we are able to feed all of our school children each day in both Galette Chambon and Haiti. This is a really big deal since the schools are not in session. All together, there are 1,600 children being fed each day.
Vladimir helping distribute food from
the Hope Center in Galette Chambon
Geremy and Dineau from our leadership team
preparing food to distribute
Carrying food home to their families
Delta Doings
While we have had to cancel mission trips to the Delta for the foreseeable future, our team is very busy ministering in the community of Jonestown.
Our Montessori school is still feeding the children by dropping meals outside the homes of our students.
Our teachers are preparing lessons for parents to teach their children at home.
We are continuing plans for our first house and construction of the Economic Development Center.
Our Community Manager, Bennie Brown, is working with local authorities to provide needed assistance. We are constantly looking for ways to share the love of Christ during these unusual days.
Meet the Team
Our American staff is working very hard to continue our work in both Haiti and the Mississippi Delta. We communicate with one another multiples times each day and have an all-staff video meeting every Tuesday morning.
This group is focusing on ways to impact the communities where we work. They love the Lord and love the people where we serve. They have a strong work ethic and are really smart. That’s a great combination!
This doesn’t even include our incredible Haitian staff who are doing a fantastic job during very trying times in Haiti.
Top row, l to r: Bennie Brown (Community Manager – Jonestown, MS), Beth Rigney (Dir. of Media/Communication), Linda McGrew (Life Center Coordinator – Jonestown, MS), Dina Ray (Development Dir.)
Middle row, l to r: Annette Hall (Mission Team Coordinator), Stan Buckley (Founder and Ex. Dir.), Julie Humphreys (Dir. of Accounting), Rusty Hall (Managing Dir.)
Bottom row, l to r: Mickie West (Missionary to Haiti), Amber Gray (Team Project Coordinator – Jonestown, MS)
Tony West, our other missionary to Haiti, was unable to make the meeting.
What You Can Do
First, please pray that the coronavirus that has appeared in Haiti will not spread throughout that country. Haiti does not have the resources or infrastructure to handle such a crisis.
Second, if you are a regular contributor to BGM we would ask that, if at all possible, you continue with those gifts. We remain committed to the work to which God has called us in Haiti and the Delta. Our work of sharing the love of Christ through building sustainable communities will be more important than ever in the days ahead.
Finally…
If you are in a position to give, you can give a general gift online HERE or send a check to: But God Ministries, 404 Fontaine Place, Suite 104, Ridgeland, MS, 39157.
In addition, I ask for your prayers for wisdom and energy for our Haitian staff, our Delta staff, our American staff in Haiti and the U.S., and our Board of Directors.