Spring 2023 Ministry Update
"When you sweat for God, He will change your shirt." TonTon Eli
My uncle Eli was a true man of God. He taught me how to follow God’s calling upon my life. After my wife and I got married, we decided by faith to open the first school in the community of Vieud-Avictroire, La Victoire, Haiti. Two young adults who would do what is required of them to do- to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God... (Micah 6:8b.)
Through many obstacles and trials, we are here twelve years later with a flourishing ministry. It hasn’t been easy, but we have persevered through what we know God has called us to do. We hope one day you can come see and hear the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed through God’s ministry here in LaVictoire. While Haiti is going through a political crisis in Port-Au-Prince, here in LaVictoire, we are seeing God move in amazing ways. We are glad that our family and our mission friends can share our blessings with the people of Haiti, and we are also able to witness the great things God is doing within the community of La Victoire.
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New School Has Opened!
Last year we embarked on a journey to build a bigger educational facility that would hold both our high school and primary school students. We were able to construct the second floor of our school building. During the last stages, I (Evens) had injured my head causing us to stop fundraising immediately. The doctor asked me to be on complete brain rest for ten days. My wife and I were worried about school opening and not having a roof on the second floor, but God poured His blessings at the right time! Today both primary and high school students are on the same compound as planned. We thank God and all of you who contributed to help make this dream become a reality for the children and the youth of our community.
School has been in session now for about four months. Due to inflation, unrest and political crisis, schools throughout Haiti didn’t officially start until December. In LaVictoire, we started in November. Education is a key component in the ministry, and we wanted our children to know that we are committed to educating them to the best of our ability. The staff of the school had a meeting with all the families in the elementary school and high school about not worrying about uniforms and school supplies. The students who couldn’t afford to buy uniforms or school supplies were encouraged to come to school and would not be reprimanded. In Haitian culture, wearing uniforms to school is a norm. The first week we had over 100 students come through our doors. Students were excited to come learn! The teachers were eager to teach. Today, we have over 200 students at the primary school and high school. We praise God for what He has done.
It has been amazing to see a true miracle to build the second floor of our school. A miracle because while the south of Haiti was going through protests, inflation was at an all-time high, and materials were not easy to get, we were able to complete the second floor of the school. When it was finished my wife and I looked at each other in disbelief. We couldn’t believe that through a storm, God was placing everything according to His will. We still need to do other things, but the building itself can receive students and staff. The next phase of this project is to make the walls smooth, install windows, put tile, and paint the building. This year we will concentrate on raising funds to finish the second phase of the project which is an opportunity to continue to support the ministry in Haiti. Please join us by praying and giving to help us finish this project strong.
Medical Clinic Making a Difference
Our clinic is working very well. It is self-sustaining, and we are praising God for this! Dr. Moncoeur and Dr. Buni are doing an amazing job. We are truly blessed to work with amazing professionals who want to help their community. This month we were able to hire a nurse at the clinic. Our nurse had been in school these past four years thanks to our generous friends at First United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon. From what she had told us, she was the only nursing student in her class that would have a job after graduating. Any job in Haiti is hard to find. We praise God for the opportunity to bless someone we were able to see grow at our church.
So much transformation has happened throughout the year regarding our health care ministry. Since we’ve started 1,365 families including 422 children: 75 boys and 347 girls have been seen at the clinic. Throughout the dental health service, we have seen 350 patients. We are the first and the only medical clinic in the La Victoire community that has dental services available. Again, we praise God for the opportunity to serve our community through health care.
Here is how many patients we served in 2022 after the opening of the medical clinic:
You may not know it, but we also opened a Dental Clinic within the Medical facility. And boy have we been busy!
Your support has had a tangible, positive impact on so many people who normally never have the opportunity to get basic dental care.
Community Development Projects
Our Community Development Program has been established in 12 communities. Beneficiaries receive training in the field of: Agro-Ecology and raising goats which include different ways of using the goat fur, meat, and milk. We also have an Attelage System in which we have six bulls that plow land in three communities. Our CDP serves about 225 families.
We are truly thankful to all our partners who have worked together with us during this past two years to help provide encouragement, hope and dignity to those in need within our communities. Despite the difficulties that you hear happening within the country of Haiti, I truly believe together, we can truly participate bringing a smile to someone’s face.
Water & Electricity
Our campus is preparing to receive clean water through the river that is near us. Our partners Engineering for Hope have been working on this project to provide over 100 gallons of clean filtered water daily! We are so excited for this! Water is so important to all communities and now, our little community will be able to provide clean water to all.
Final Thoughts & Prayer Requests
The work here is not easy, but we believe God continues to bless the community of LaVictoire. We know that God is good to us in all we do for him. My wife and I believe that if one day, God decided to move us somewhere else, we have built leaders in this community that will continue His work. All that we do is not for us, it is for this community that we truly love and respect. It is so beautiful to see families being able to provide necessities for their children. It is a blessing to provide jobs that pay decent wages to people who live in this community. It truly makes it all worthwhile to know that the students at our school will at least have one meal a day.
While man has forgotten about the least of these, God has a purpose for them. It is an honor to be part of the move of God in LaVictoire. If you didn’t know already, LaVictoire is the poorest city in the North part of Haiti. So, we have seen children faint because they have not eaten for days, we’ve been to funerals for children who have died because of contaminated water, and we’ve seen Satan try to take control of people’s lives because of the desperate needs. But God’s justice and grace is amazing. Thank you for partnering with us in what God is doing here in LA Victoire Haiti
Supporting SAI's Mission
As you've seen in this month's Ministry Update, we continue to support the La Victoire community in the face of extreme challenges. Your continued support is helping us by:
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Providing a high-quality education to children and good jobs for the teachers who give themselves to the children.
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Sustaining the operation of our Medical Clinic, which is providing care to over 100 people a month.
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Giving children the hope of dental care.
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Supporting ongoing projects, such as providing easier access to clean water.
You can support us by hitting "Donate Now" below or if you're part of Evangelical Covenant Church you can follow this link.
May the Lord keep and continue to bless all of your abundantly! With Love, Even & Karina Paul & Family
Evens & Karina Paul & Family
