April 1, 2021
Hello from Haiti!
For the last two months we have been writing about the needs in Dolval, specifically for support for teachers. The economic crisis sparked by Covid-19, along with the general economic malaise in Haiti, means that the community has not been able to pay tuition for the primary school. Since they could not pay tuition, the teachers could not be paid, and the school had to suspend operation. We have been asking you to pray about the possibility of committing to long-term support of these teachers so the school could restart.
We have since been alerted that the situation is more far-reaching than just the teacher salaries. There are issues having to do with the facility where the school meets, as well as with supplies for students. Given that the school year is soon coming to a close, and that the situation is more extensive than we first realized, we believe it best to simply ask you to continue to pray for the school, the teachers, and the community. In the meantime, we will evaluate the situation in its totality, hopefully in person. Due to civil and political unrest, along with the ongoing Covid situation, travel to Haiti is questionable at this point. However, it may be possible in the coming months.
When faced with a difficult situation, followers of Christ are often heard to say, "Well, the only thing left to do is to just pray." In reality, the first thing to do is to pray! Even if we think we can handle some challenge or issue, we need to recognize all resources and talent come from the hand of God. This is a time when we need great wisdom, so we ask you to pray for exactly that. You would never want to simply put a Band-Aid over a serious wound that needs greater intervention. Likewise, we can never solve all of Haiti's problems by ourselves, but we also don't want to make things worse by applying a short-term solution that really doesn't solve structural problems. Dolval is a small village, and with God's wisdom, it is a place where we really can make a positive impact.
In the meantime, we are not ignoring felt needs of the people who live there. While we want to solve underlying problems, there is still a place for outright charity. People are hungry and we cannot ignore that. We were able to purchase a lot of dry food in Miami and ship it to Haiti inside a container. The photo shows the food arriving in Dolval, and the local church was able to distribute it to many hungry people. We want to strike the right balance between charity and structural improvement. That's why we're doubling down asking you to remember Dolval in your prayers, so that God will help us do what is most honoring to Him and to the people we serve. We will keep you posted in the months to come.
