A Message From Kelly:

In eight years, I have been to Haiti 21 times. I met Corey on a plane back from Haiti and we still laugh about how God connected us that day. I have worked with RAW Haiti in Port au Prince, whose focus is Recovery and Wellness. We have provided orphan care, leadership training, support for the Haitian team, organizational support, organizational development, evaluations, facilitated Soccer tournaments, taught music and worked on numerous art projects with youth. Now, I also help the team manage many projects including supplies and garden projects. Assisting Corey and the team hands on helps us get much more done and be more productive on the ground. We also are working on building affordable sand filters.

Kelly needs and wants to come back to Haiti and work with the RAW team. Funds are tight and she needs help raising the funds to make it possible! Please help her continue to make a major impact on our RAW team in Haiti.

Things have changed a lot for RAW Haiti over the last couple of years. Now we focus our efforts on the kids from Cite Soleil, because we can make a bigger impact that is not corrupt. So much continued support is needed for our youth in Haiti.

Priority Items Needed:
• Yoga Mats!!
• Soccer Equipment
• Sneakers and Cleats
• Jars of Peanut butter
• Smartphones
• Working laptops and tablets

Donations Needed for:
Kelly’s Trip to Haiti: $1200 ($700 for all expenses for 7 days and about $500 for the plane ticket)
Dienuet Sponsorship: $150 a month = for 3 brothers at the St. Marc Orphanage
Cite Soleil Classroom being Fixed: $500 and lots of Yoga Mats

Kelly’s Story:
Six years ago, I posed the question to one of my closest friends in Haiti as to what the greatest need is because it was obvious that there is such great need. Everywhere you look, there are people on the street, looking for work, for food, looking for an opportunity to take care of their families.

His response was FOOD. And EDUCATION. His heart and passion are for the people of Haiti, and understanding exactly where the people are, his heart breaks for those around him. Although I have only seen and experienced a fraction of the things he has, I can relate to what he is feeling.

Little did I know that that conversation would spark a passion in my heart that would not be quenched. You see, I went to Haiti begrudgingly for the first time because my oldest daughter, Farrah, was not old enough to go on the mission trip without a parent. I could either accompany her on her first trip, which she felt God was calling her to, or selfishly keep her from fulfilling her call because I was afraid.

One day into that trip, I knew I was hooked. The people of Haiti captured my heart, and I wanted to make a difference. But how?! As I said, there is such great need! And I am only one person. There were so many obstacles! Not the least of which is a language barrier. And money. And time. And resources. The list goes on and on. BUT over the course of the next seven years, it became very evident that God was calling me to something so much bigger than myself in Haiti.

You see, in eight years I have been to Haiti 21 times. Many of those trips were with the Journey, the church that my husband and I have been members of for 20 years. Before I had even finished my first trip, I was signed up for my second. The Journey’s vision in Haiti is to plant indigenous churches, to equip the local pastors, and to share the love of Christ in the surrounding communities, in St Marc, Gonaieves, and the Artibonite Valley. I have had the privilege to participate in Children’s Bible School, Village Evangelism, Church Construction and Dedication, Shoe Distribution, and Home Construction, all while developing relationships with the people in the churches that the Journey partners with, as well as the surrounding communities. I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in a vision trip with Thousand Hills Ministries in the Central Plain of Haiti. We met with the Pastors of the local churches that they partner with, visited their goat farms, discussed farming options and looked at potential land to be purchased and used for farming. Finally, I have worked with RAW Haiti in Port au Prince, whose focus is Recovery and Wellness, and mission is to empower Haitian youth by promoting change through a holistic approach to wellness and health. Psychological and community services are the primary forms of sustainable relief provided. We have provided orphan care, leadership training, support for the Haitian team, facilitated Soccer tournaments, taught music and worked on numerous art projects with the kids in the program. Needless to say, I have had a wide variety of experiences in Haiti, and each trip only fueled my love for the Haitian people.

I truly believe that in this lifetime, we could see a paradigm shift in the way the leaders of Haiti think. We need to be catalysts in that change. My heart and passion is to equip these future leaders to think outside the box, to think outside of their current circumstances and envision a future filled with possibility. A future with HOPE for change. I want these children to see their potential and then believe that they can do ANYTHING. The future President of Haiti could be sitting in these classrooms, hearing the Gospel, and lead a complete Revolution for Christ in the nation of Haiti! It starts with US. Are you ready to see an entire nation changed because of your faithfulness? I am CONVINCED that this is POSSIBLE. That you and I together have the capabilities and resources to lead the charge in painting a brighter future for the nation of Haiti, all while we meet the immediate needs of those we come in contact with and have influence over. Ann Ale! Let’s Go!