Category Archives: Caribbean

HAITI UPDATE — by Jeanette Felix and Sharon Cushing

2022 was an unsettling year for the world, and Haiti was no exception. The country continues to be mired in political and economic turmoil with lawlessness prevailing in the streets of her cities. Life for those living there has been completely upended. Emboldened by the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021, violent gangs seized control of much of the country. Last fall, they shut down the major fuel terminal for approximately two months, blocking fuel distribution to the country. Many businesses, banks, schools, and hospitals were forced to close and public transportation was unavailable. In mid-November, the fuel terminal was released, and schools and some businesses began to reopen. Still, ongoing insecurity, inflation, and a new cholera outbreak are exacerbating an already faltering economy and disrupting day-to-day life.

Along with the national crisis, CINHP also experienced a catastrophic internal upheaval. After years of being uninvolved in the school, CINHP’s president unexpectedly took exclusive control of it, unilaterally reversing policies and undoing years of progress. Exhibiting erratic behavior, he threatened to fire the directors and staff and began spreading disinformation about us to the Lespinasse community. Months of negotiation with him failed to produce an acceptable outcome, and over our protests, he decided to close the school.

You may wonder how this could legally happen. In the United States, it probably couldn’t. However, this is Haiti and different standards apply. Knowing we could spend thousands of dollars in legal fees and still not reach a desired outcome eventually compelled us (Sharon and Jeanette) to resign from the organization, leaving the president as the sole manager of Children In Need Haitian Project. Sorrowfully, we informed the staff of the situation letting them know their options were to continue and work for the president, or seek other means of support for themselves and their families. They unanimously chose the latter.  At that time, the school had more than 200 students grades K – 7th.

At the close of the school year, before our official resignation, we were delighted to give generous appreciation bonuses to all of our departing staff. In addition, we gave partial scholarships to our older students to give them the chance to attend another school. The little ones, however, were without options. The preschool director, Mme. Julia, heartbroken for the children said, “I cannot just let this happen!” Despite having no assurance of ongoing support, she took a bold step of faith and re-opened the preschool for the 2022/2023 school year.

NOT AN END… BUT A NEW BEGINNING!

God has an amazing way of redeeming broken pieces to form something new from devastation. Isaiah 43:19 has become our new favorite verse:  “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”  What initially looked hopeless to us is being remade into something even more beautiful.

After much prayer and counsel, we (Sharon and Jeanette) formed a new organization, which, in its infancy, has already helped even more children go to school. God is clearly at work bringing to fruition the plans He began in Lespinasse and expanding our reach to other areas of Haiti and beyond. We are so excited to be a conduit through which He can work and we are looking forward to see all He will do as we enter this journey of faith.

INTRODUCING: NEXUS FOR GOOD – Connecting Generosity to Need.

Nexus for Good links with other grassroots missions that work in communities, like Lespinasse, where children are deprived of education for various reasons. Through Nexus we connect compassionate donors with ministries that promote Christian education as a means of disrupting the cycle of poverty. By partnering, rather than doing it all ourselves, we expand our reach to more children in more areas of the world. We have chosen and begun to extend financial assistance and consultation to several partner missions:

LESPINASSE, HAITI—After years of investing in leadership training for our teaching staff, the preschool director, Mme. Julia, (with the support of her husband, former school director, Jean Simon) took advantage of that training and opened a preschool in Lespinasse under her own banner and direction. One hundred students, preschool through 2nd grade currently attend, and they are growing. Nexus for Good is walking alongside them with financial support, counsel, encouragement, and prayer. As we release our previous hands-on approach, we feel a little like concerned parents praying for the success of maturing children as they take their next steps of independence.

PLATEAU-ANSE-ROUGE—Lemuel Ministries is a Haitian-founded organization working in an arid, desolate area of Northwest Haiti. Lemuel’s philosophy, school history, and community development vision uniquely parallel our Lespinasse program. We are proud to walk with them and to have funded the remainder of their class sponsorships for 2022/23. In a recent meeting, one of their directors told us, “This is the first year we have ever been fully funded!”

INDIA—Friends ministering in a Leper colony in Northern India told us recently that there is no school for the children living there. Although they do not have leprosy themselves, they are rejected and not allowed in schools. Ridiculed and deemed unworthy of an education they become beggars and scavengers who are often molested and prostituted. A few are receiving a modest education thanks to one lone Christian teacher who, through great personal sacrifice, has chosen to enter the colony to teach them. We are teaming up with them to create a safe space for these children to learn. A rent-free building, badly in need of reconstruction, has been secured for this and plans to renovate it are being developed. Initial funding has already been sent to start the construction project.

CURRENT UPDATE ON LESPINASSE, HAITI

Haiti has been under relentless attack from multiple lawless gangs for more than a year. The violence eventually reached Lespinasse, where our school is located. A couple of weeks ago, police along with several men in the community confronted some gang members. Several people were shot and killed, including Rene, the elderly husband of our former school cook, Lolo. Several days after the first attack, gang members returned, captured and beat a local Pastor, killed others, and burned homes. In fear, people abandoned everything they had to go into hiding. These gangs spread terror through violence, arson, and theft. Homes and gardens are ravaged, or burned, and animals stolen for food or to be sold. These gardens, goats, pigs, and cows are the only livelihood that many in this area have to survive.  As you can well imagine, lives were completely disrupted. Schools closed, and families fled to neighboring areas or went into hiding, even sleeping in the underbrush. Supply routes to and from Lespinasse were blocked by thugs causing shortages of basic necessities and making it impossible for people to work.

Our school directors, amid these dangerous conditions, stepped out in faith and courage to keep the school open and running. During the worst of the violence, they closed for two weeks as the students had left the area.  Last week when the majority of the danger had subsided the school reopened. We are extremely proud of Mme. Julia and Jean Simon, who through great personal sacrifice and in obedience to what God has called them to do continue to invest in the lives of the 100 students we now serve.

These events weigh heavily on our hearts as we consider what is happening to many we know in this community. We are angry and feel helpless to defend our students and their families from this evil. Yet, we are not powerless! We pray with confidence because we have a God who hears, who cares, who is all powerful, and who intervenes for his children. No matter how discouraging and upsetting things appear, we know that God is working for good and that justice will prevail!  Please consider supporting this worthwhile work financially and take some time to pray with us for Haiti as you read this update and :

Please pray for our students, their families, our school directors and staff; for unity and courage as Christian churches reach out to defend, comfort, and help their neighbors, Thank God that He protected the church building.

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Last time published a Bridge Report on Haiti was in the wake of the August 2021 earthquake, focusing on our partners’ disaster relief and restoration.

This month, our report comes from the midst of another disaster in Haiti—the turmoil of violence and lawlessness in the country which is breaking down every level of society.  The headquarters of many humanitarian and Christian organizations have been destroyed by gangs and have had to pack up and leave.  Children In Need Haitian Project’s school community in Lespinasse was attacked by gangs, but is still operating.

 In 2023, Jeanette and Sharon restructured CINHP.  They continue working in Lespinasse, but  also expanded to include forgotten children in a new area of Haiti and added a new project in India focusing on children living in a leper colony.  The new organization has been renamed NEXUS FOR GOOD. You will find their background history on the link:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/carribean/haiti

Haiti — Earthquake and Disaster Relief by Our Partners

On  August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti’s southern peninsula, releasing almost twice as much energy as the 7.0 magnitude quake in 2010.

The quake struck 78 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and affected two cities, Les Cayes and Jeremie, resulting in major devastation with people caught under rubble and collapsed buildings.  Phone lines were down near the epicenter of the quake. It took some time for the news to emerge from those cities. The only road linking Port-au-Prince to the affected area is dangerous and at times impassable due to gang violence, so the transport of relief aid is slow and laborsome.

This same region was battered by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which killed nearly 900 people and reportedly destroyed 90% of some areas, including the main road connecting the peninsula to the capital. The region was still recovering from that disaster when the quake happened.  It also coincided with immense national political turmoil following the July 7 assassination of its leader, President Jovenel Moïse.

Haiti remains one of the poorest in the world, with 60% of the population earning less than $2.00 a day.   A power vacuum, severe poverty and rampant gang violence has left the country ill-prepared to handle a disaster of this scale.

UNICEF’s August 29 publication reported the following statistics:  As of Saturday, 21 August the country counted 2,207 deaths and 12,268 wounded. Approximately 52,953 houses were completely destroyed and 77,006 severely damaged, while 650,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 260,000 children. Severe damage to infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, water systems and roads have left basic social services in a dire situation. Tropical storm Grace reached the country on Monday, 16 August, triggering mudslides, hampering relief efforts and weakening the already fragile telecommunication system.

Disaster Relief Provided by BCDC in Partnership with CINHP
by Sharon Cushing

Those who survived the August 14th earthquake and subsequent Tropical Storm are still in grave danger. The earthquake demolished buildings, killing thousands. Landslides buried homes, businesses, farms, gardens, and livestock. Water is in short supply as many cisterns were destroyed by the earthquake and natural water sources have been contaminated. Roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed, making it difficult for aid to reach the affected towns.
Many are homeless or injured and hunger is rampant in the hardest-hit areas. Gangs continue impeding delivery of humanitarian assistance – attacking convoys and stealing food and supplies. In a place where food insecurity was already a problem this has made the predicament increasingly dire.
Homeless women and children are especially vulnerable to hunger, violence, and exploitation. COVID-19-related health risks present additional insecurity. Hospitals are overcrowded and the staff overwhelmed. Some areas are remote and nearly unreachable.

Though our CINHP school is not in the affected area (located in the village of Lesnipasse, 10 km southeast of Port-au-Prince), we received a great outpouring of concern from our donors who wanted to help.  To date, $10,000 has been donated through our ministry  and sent to our partners at Beraca Community Development Corporation (www.bcdc.org) whose people tirelessly work on the ground in the disaster area.  This is a great testament to the goodness of God through his people. 

Thankfully, our partners at BCDC  have offices near the hardest-hit areas: Port Salut (Les Cayes) and Jeremie. This gives them proximity to those most affected by these twin catastrophes. Beraca’s network of 1700 churches in that region are being used as distribution hubs to expedite assistance to the victims in the ravaged areas and facilitate the ongoing rescue and relief efforts. They administer emergency first aid and supply families with safe drinking water, food, hygiene kits, medicine, tents, blankets, and clothing, which relieves immediate needs. Our donated funds to the Disaster Relief are going to supporting their efforts.
Following Phase 1—Rescue, BCDC will begin Phase 2—Rebuild: helping reconstruct homes, churches, schools, and clinics, restore businesses, replant gardens, and meet other needs. We will work with them as we can.

Teams have been on the ground helping to console those affected and to reassure them that hope is not lost and that they are not alone. They know that God and people like you feel their pain and care. Perhaps this comfort is even more important than the material aid. Please pray for those who do not yet know Jesus – that they’ll be encouraged to seek and follow Him AND that God continues to lead and provide for these vulnerable families.

Please pray for the safety and efficacy of the teams on the ground and that the recipients of their service will know they are loved and cared for. Continue to pray and spread the word to others who might be interested in helping.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND ON THE SERVICES BERACA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATON HAS RENDERED TO THE PEOPLE IN HAITI

I (R.K.) met Pastor Jean-Pierre Mullery (Center) and two of his Co-Pastors during my visit to their church four years ago.

After the January 12, 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, Pastor Mullery and his team extended BCDC from NY to Haiti, where they currently serve the cities of Leogane, Cabaret, Jeremie and Cape Haitian with a number of community programs and mercy ministries in addition to planting churches and rebuilding schools and businesses.  This has caused scored of impoverished and destitute people in the region to be lifted out of poverty and become productive and fulfilled, as they learn to bloom where they are planted.  Following are some of the programs:

  • Training and mentoring Pastors and leaders. They are currently training 1700 leaders.
  • Creating and sustaining approximately 400 jobs through their motorcycle taxis, micro-lending and mini bus services.
  • Conducting mobile medical clinics, bringing healthcare to thousands of underserved Haitians through the local churches in their communities.
  • Training and equipping teachers and principals, providing a good education to their students by the use of certified U.S. Haitian-American teachers.
  • Planting churches that are the hubs for spiritual and socio-economic health and development in the Haitian communities.

The event of Hurricane Matthew not only devastated the region, but also caused food shortages throughout the nation. BCDC began networking with some of the local churches to re-plant what the hurricane destroyed, which now includes hundreds of churches.
The Reforestation Project focuses on replanting trees in the denuded countryside to help avoid the continued massive erosion of cultivated land in the region. It is known as the breadbasket of the country, as a good portion of the crops that feed Haiti are grown there. For every tree gone, they plant three new seedlings. Teams from Beraca keep traveling to Haiti with needy material, tools, and supplies, and work in partnership with Haitian believers in rebuilding church buildings, community centers, and homes that have been destroyed by the hurricane.

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

The Bridge partners with two excellent Christian organizations who have been on the ground in Haiti for years, doing outstanding work in serving the local population by helping them improve their and their family’s lives, both spiritually and physically.  Children in Need Haitian Project (CINHP) established in NYC in 2005, has been doing an outstanding job in helping educate the children in the town of Lesnipasse, 10 km southeast of Port-au-Prince.  Four years ago, Sharon Cushing, CINHP’s Administrator, introduced me to Mullery Jean-Pierre, Senior Pastor of Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY, who with his dedicated team has served his Haitian people since 2010 in the region of the recent earthquake. I  strongly encourage you to take time to read prior updates on the effective service these two groups of Americans are doing in helping the Haitian people help themselves and bloom where they are planted.  You will find those stories on our website, just click on: 

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/haiti/

If you want to give toward specific emergency items for the hardest hit victims, Sharon has complied a suggested list below

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NEEDS WITH APPX. COSTS:

Personal Needs:

  • Meals for a family for a week – $10
  • Hygiene kits – $25
  • Family emergency shelters – $40
  • Water filtration kits – $50
  • Solar panel lights with USB charger – $70

Medical Needs:

  • Cots for patients at hospitals – $60
  • Generators for hospitals – $2,500
  • Large canopy tent shelter for hospitals – $15,000

Please mark your donation 8162 RELIEF AID—HAITI.  It will be sent in full to meet the intended emergency needs!

Cuba — Pandemic, Protests versus Prayer Revival

“We Were So Hungry, We Ate Our Fear”
The Uncertain Consequences of Cuba’s Protests

People take part in a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11, 2021. – Thousands of Cubans took part in rare protests Sunday against the communist government, marching through a town chanting “Down with the dictatorship” and “We want liberty.” (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)

On Sunday July 11, in the town of San Antonio De Las Banos on the outskirts of Havana, historic protests erupted against the Cuban government. In the following days the protests spread to 40 cities and 22 smaller towns throughout the country, with protestors chanting ‘freedom’ and ‘down with the dictatorship’. The protests were fueled by anger over medicine, food and gas shortages, the Cuban government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, and a broader frustration with the status quo of repression and lack of freedom of expression.

The grassroots organizers used social media to spontaneously mobilize the public countrywide. Videos quickly spread of protestors flipping over police cars, looting stores and throwing rocks, all capturing international attention. An anonymous protestor in San Antonio stated, ’We are not afraid. We want change, we do not want dictatorship anymore’. The Cuban government responded in kind: ’The order to fight has been given–into the street revolutionaries!’ declared President Miguel Diez-Canal as he dispatched his military machine.

Numerous factors are responsible for the timing and size of the protests. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused a sharp economic contraction as tourism and sugar production—the two main engines of the economy—collapsed, resulting in lack of foreign currency to pay debt and import basic goods and services.  This has had a profound impact on the economic and social life of the people on the island.

As protestors bravely were standing in the streets withstanding rubber bullets, tear gas, beatings, and the threats of arrest, there were shouts calling for “Freedom!” and “Liberty and Life!” from among the crowds.  Whether Cuba will endure a similar fate as Venezuela and Nicaragua with a shaken, but enduring communist regime, or whether this protest is a trigger of a broader movement, is uncertain. What is certain is that, not since Castro’s revolution 62 years ago, has the Cuban government faced such a grave threat to its existence.♦
Excerpts from @The Oxford Student

Pandemic versus Prayer Revival.  Report by a Friend from Cuba

After more than sixty years of devastating Marxist Socialist/Communist dictatorship, the island of Cuba is experiencing one of the most horrible moments in modern history.

Day by day, in the midst of the massive human suffering, it is the power of the Church—κοινωνία, the Fellowship of Believers which is sustaining the Cuban people. Like the salt of the earth and light of the world, as described by Jesus in Matthew 5:13-16, it is bringing hope to our island, which was described by its great admirer, Christopher Columbus as, “more beautiful than human eyes have ever seen.”

During the last eight months all church buildings have been closed. The pandemic has put the authorities on high alert as lack of proper food and vitamins are causing thousands and thousands to be infected with Covid-19 and hundreds are dying daily. The Church has risen to the occasion, being the only voice and messenger of hope of life for the nation of Cuba. With the disadvantage of having all church gatherings shut down, the Pastors and church leadership in Cuba have turned that into an advantage—using their creativity and innovation.  They have invaded social platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, etc. with a clear message: calling believers to prayer and fasting.

I know Pastors who have created groups on Telegram where they preach to 50 people or more at a time and record these messages. Then, everybody in the group distributes them to others who have prayer requests and are seeking to know the Living Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory! One Pastor started preaching his sermons to a group of 10 on social media, which has now increased to 150 followers. Each of them downloads and resends these messages to hundreds more who are interested in the Living Word of God.

From R.K’s Corner

It is almost unimaginable that only 90 miles from the shores of Miami, one of the wealthiest coastlines in the United States, perhaps even the world, there is an island with a population of a little more than 11 million people who, except for a very wealthy governing elite, live in abject poverty.  For 62 years, Cuba has been controlled by a ruthless Marxist dictatorship which has oppressed, repressed, and suppressed their people’s lives and liberty.   On July 11, the people of Cuba shook off their fear of reprisals, took to the streets where they openly protested against tyranny and demanded freedom and liberty.  The world is taking notice!

A more quiet, less visible, yet profound and more lasting transformation has also been taking place in Cuba.  During the Covid-19 restrictions with church buildings and public gatherings on lockdown, the Christians in Cuba, as in many other oppressive nations, have risen to the occasion.  They have formed nationwide networks between churches and fellowships online, as well as physically in small groups.  Individual believers fearlessly and courageously come together to pray and intercede for each other and their nation.  There is a prayer revival emerging in Cuba!  They work together in finding and sharing resources with each other and the most needy in their communities with love, prayer for the hungry, the lost, the hopeless and lonely, the sick and dying as they present the Gospel by sharing testimonies of faith, and teaching them the Word of God

In this issue, I present a brief background on the unprecedented July protests.  The centerfold contains a report by a dear Cuban friend who is well connected with the Body of Christ in his country. Please pray for Cuba’s liberation and freedom, both spiritually and physically!

 

CHILDREN IN NEED HAITI (CINHP) — GRIEVING FEDNOR by Jeanette Felix, Founder & RN Medical Mission Coordinator

I will never, ever forget the look in the eyes of this tiny skeleton of a 3-year old child. Staring intently, his eyes never wavered from the hardboiled egg I’d started peeling for him ‘Could this be for me?’ ‘Could this entire egg really be for me, only?’ he questioned with his eyes.
At my slight gesture to hand him the peeled egg, he quickly grabbed it from me, held it tightly in his tiny hands, took one big bite, held the rest in his two fists for a moment and then squished the remaining portion into his dirty pockets, not knowing if or when he would get a next meal.

Our first Children In Need  (CNIHP) medical outreach took place on October 24, 2008. Our school was transformed into a temporary health clinic.  We examined 126 patients over a two-day period, many of whom had not seen a doctor in years. Most of the adults we examined were severely anemic.  Many had critical hypertension with BP 200/100 and up. Yet, I believe the real reason we were there that day was to save the life of a three year old boy named Fednor.  He was in the end stages of starvation.

Fednor’s step-grandmother arrived to the clinic with two healthy-looking, seemingly well-cared-for children to be examined by the doctor. Anoise, the Community Leader, advised us that there was a third child at home. We pressed the woman as to why she had not brought the other child along, too. Uncomfortable with her response, we strongly urged her to bring him which she initially refused to do. Troubled by her reluctance, we declined to examine her two children until she brought Fednor.

We soon  learned why she was so reluctant to bring him.  Fednor was covered from head to toe with scabies, had sunken eyes, a  bloated belly, and ribs prominently protruding from his tiny, malnourished frame. He could only stand for a couple of minutes before needing to squat. According to Dr. Sanchez, who examined him, he would have died of severe malnutrition within days, had we not intervened.

From the beginning, Fednor had an extra special place in my heart. I could sense an intense spiritual struggle raging over the life of this little boy. Throughout Fednor’s life, his social situation was unstable and filled with horrific traumas. His father and mother were separated, each trying to survive by working in Port-Au-Prince. With both parents gone most of the time, Fednor had been left to the care of his paternal grandfather and step-grandmother who lived close to our school. Tragically, as often happens, Fednor was seriously neglected, almost to death.

We arranged for him to come to the school each day to eat lunch with our students until he was recovered enough to attend preschool. Once he began his education, the neurological damage caused by being malnourished for years became evident. He had difficulty concentrating and learning. Our Pre-school Director, Julia Jules, took him under her wing, as a surrogate mother, brought him breakfast and snacks plus vitamins and supplements each day and tailored the curriculum to optimize his learning potential.

Sadly, a year later, Fednor suffered another disruption in his young life. His father, a healthy 28 year-old, contracted a fever of unknown origin and died within a few days. This time Fednor’s paternal uncle took over caring for him and, thankfully, agreed to let him continue to attend our school and  learn of the love of Jesus.  But as soon as his mother thought she could care for him again, she would take him out of these loving and stable homes to live with her. As he got older he was a help to her at the market and, as a result, did not attend school. Fednor became street smart and as a young, vulnerable teenager got involved with the wrong people. Tragically, last summer, at the age of 16, Fednor was shot and killed on the streets of Port-au-Prince in an area known to be controlled by gangs. CINHP helped his family to bury him in the beautiful mountains of Lespinasse where he was born.

I tell you these details so you can better understand why we continue to fight for justice for the children of Haiti. Fednor was deeply loved by CINHP. Saving his life and providing a good future for him became an ardent pursuit for us throughout his short life. In so many ways Fednor embodies our work in Haiti.
Children In Need Haitian project exists to give the children in the community of Lespinasse a “future and a hope” as our guiding verse (Jer 29:11) states. To me, Fednor’s own death reflect the overall helplessness of precious children who grow up in toxic environments and tragic circumstances – where structural, social, and spiritual oppression run uninhibited with very few available interventions.

Sharon Cushing, Executive Coordinator for CINHP writes:

We believe that the best way to a better future for Haiti is to prepare today’s children to be the leaders of tomorrow – to identify and seize opportunities for themselves and become creators of opportunities for others.

Though Jeanette and I haven’t been to Haiti for nearly two years due to the civil unrest that continues to plague the country and now Covid-19, the work continues and is prospering! God is doing amazing work through our staff in Haiti, who, though a bit weary, are doggedly determined to serve the children of  Lespinasse. They even found a way to do a “school at home” program during the Covid-19 closure so that our students didn’t fall behind.
This year all 13 of our 9th-grade students passed the state exams and nine of them began attending high school. This is monumental. There was a time when this would have been unthinkable. It shows growth in the mindset of the community. It shows a developing though fragile hope for the future. The parents are beginning to move beyond surviving to planning, and that is encouraging.
A few items we’ve yet to accomplish include: build a new kitchen, install a pre-school playground and additional restrooms to accommodate our growing student population, provide health insurance for our staff, construct a public cistern for the community, and begin a literacy program for adults and others who are unable to attend school.          

Our gratitude goes out to our staff for their dedication and perseverance,  and to our faithful friends whose finances and prayer have enabled Children In Need to do: 

  • Serve 200+ children and employ 26 full and part-time Haitian staff.
  • Provide daily nutritious meals, mentoring, and basic healthcare for each of our student.student.
  • Build a beautiful new school building with a play area.
  • Deliver quality education that has earned us First Place in the region and enabled our older students to pass the state exams and qualify for high school, year after year.
  • Provide emergency assistance to families, including a house for an elderly couple whose home was destroyed in a hurricane.
  • This year we’ll enter into an agreement with Child Evangelism Fellowship to begin Youth clubs and summer camp for our students and other children in the area (implementation by summer 2021).
  • We are also in early discussions with a partnering organization that may be able to help our graduating students with high school scholarships and vocational programs.

From R.K.’s Corner

In the July, 2013 issue of The Bridge Report, we featured for the first time Children in Need Haiti Project (CINHP) under the headline From New York City to the Mountains of Haiti (see https://www.bridgeinternational.org/the-bridge-report-july-2013-from-new-york-city-to-the-mountains-of-haiti/ on our website).  There, we introduced you to Jeanette Felix, the founder and visionary of the mission.  She and her Executive Coordinator, Sharon Cushing, are helping the children in a small mountain town Lespinasse, by removing them from a destiny of poverty and deprivation to a fulfilled and productive life, by the love of Jesus, education, and good health care.  In our October 2016 issue, we followed up with a story how CINHP assisted the town in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.

UNICEF reports that in the world today, 1 billion children live in poverty and neglect.  It is a dizzying statistic no one can relate to, but we all can relate to one person.  That’s why, in this update report from Haiti, we have chosen to report on the short life of one little boy, Fednor, who was rescued from that statistic by CINHP, then loved and cared for by the staff.  Here is also an uplifting progress report on their school, and their efforts to educate in the midst of Covid-19.

CINHP is a worthy ministry, please mark donations
8155 Children in Need Haiti!

 

Lemuel Urra Suarez— A Second Generation Cuban Believer Following The Great Commission

My name is Lemuel Urra Suarez. I was born on February 26, 1987 in Matanzas, Cuba.

With my Wife, Daughter, and Son in Miami.

My childhood was ordinary and carefree.  I have early memories of playing hide and seek with friends, followed by the different seasons of activities, like the kite seasons, Chivichana, (which essentially looked like a homemade wooded skate board with ball bearings) and the use of so many other homemade toys and creative games.

With my childhood playmates.

However, the most vivid memories still alive in my mind are from the life in our church: Sunday school where my mother imparted Bible stories, using cloth and paper figurines coated with an adhesive solution which would allow them to remain fixed in places on the cloth. I can still see Elisha and the altar consumed by fire from heaven. I can still see Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. I remember the relief I felt as she then placed the lamb provided for the sacrifice on the cloth, and linked the story to the lamb that was to come.

Celebrating my birthday with my mom and dad, Jorge and Magdalena, in Cuba.

I remember my father who, on a typical tropical Sunday preaching passionately, drenched in sweat as the few fans on the walls of our chapel tried their best to blow a little relief on him and the brothers and sister who congregated. What immense joy we felt as we gathered, as we praised the Lord together; as the word penetrated our very soul; as we enjoyed fellowship with each other after the service.  Even now, some 25 years later, I ponder and treasure the memories of the experience of  sharing of our meals together and truly having everything in common.

Fellowship and Bible Study.

However, the shadow of  those believing in a different ideology lurked nearby.  In the name of social justice, they would cause us to lose power in our chapel in order to discourage and prevent our gatherings. On one occasion, one brother illuminated our place of worship with the lights of his vehicle, in order for us to be able to read our Bibles. They  would interfere with the teachings and life of our congregations, sometimes affecting those in leadership positions, and cause divisions from within. In the name of social justice, progress and the promise of a brighter future, they would see fit to mock and ridicule all those who professed faith in Christ.  We were publicly mocked in our schools and places of work.  Extreme pressure was placed on us to deny our faith – if we withstood and remained in the faith, we were regarded  as outcasts of society.

Ingenious: Lacking church buildings, the believers gather for worship and fellowship on roof tops.

As I look back on all the experiences and hardships our brothers and sisters endured, I cannot stress enough the suffering they endured. So many details will not be included in this record. So many atrocities remain unnamed. However, God’s word remains ever faithful and true. There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought into the open.

My family and I arrived in the United States in 2001. The move was not our choice, but it became clear that we could no longer remain in our country.  As I reflect on my life in Cuba and in my current home in the States, one fact remains above all: The Lord has been good. We currently enjoy the freedom to preach in the streets two Saturdays a month. We are humbled by the opportunity the Lord has given us to serve the homeless in our community with bread and clothing, but— above else, the Gospel of Jesus.

Helping my Dad distribute food and other relief aid to those in need.

 It is with a heavy heart I say this. The same ideology which is currently responsible for the demise of my home country, and others like Venezuela, North Korea and China, is beginning to take root in our current political landscape and culture in the States. I do not feel the need to expose this, as it is openly taking place.  It is happening in broad day light and in front of all eyes to see and ears to hear. Like in Cuba, in the name of social justice, progress and the promise of a brighter future, the leaders of this ideology work diligently to entice the minds of young and old.

I know who holds the future. If you have read the book of Revelations, you know who wins! However, in times like this, we cannot be passive and just sit from Sunday to Sunday in our churches and simply enjoy the current freedoms we have.  Truthfully, we do not know how long we will have our freedom.  We cannot afford to just go about our daily lives while this gradual breakdown of our society is taking place: killing the unborn; redefining the concept of family; removing our freedoms and liberties one by one; openly making a mockery by denying the law of our Lord.

In 2000, a group from a local Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL, visited our Brothers and Sisters in Cuba.

If this record can inspire anything in your heart, mind and soul, let it be this; Preach the Gospel!  Reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ! Strengthen your faith and be sure you have oil in your lamp!

I have lived in the United States for almost 20 years.  We serve the Lord and strive to do so until our last breath.  I have become quite familiar with so-called “American Christianity”. If persecution where ever to come into this country, how many of those sitting next to you in church on Sunday would remain? Coming from a persecuted country, I think only between 10 and 15% would remain. This is consistent with his everlasting word: “Fear not little flock”.  May we hold fast and be among His flock. Time is short!

Enjoying the Beauty of my Homeland… may my People come to know the Risen Lord Jesus Christ!

I am humbled and honored to share the following words with you. Glory to God forever!

The Faithful Church

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: ‘I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name’.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev. 3:7-13

From R.K.’s Corner

Those who have followed our ministry from the early years, may remember that, in 1994, Steve and I began serving the believers in Cuba. Initially through our local church, later via The Bridge, we have been partnering with a native Cuban, Jorge Urra, and his wife, Magdalena. who through his apostolic gifts and passion for The Gospel, has given us access to resource a number of believers in Christ within the country. Please see:  https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/cuba/

Their son, Lemuel grew up in Cuba. When he was 14, the family had to leave and moved to the States.   From Miami, Jorge and his family have passionately continued to serve his countrymen with the Great Commission in Cuba, and in other Hispanic nations.  

Lemuel is now 32, is married with two children, and is very much part of the Millennium generation in this country.  However, having first hand  experienced the hardship directed toward his people living under the communist/socialist system in Cuba,  Lemuel has a unique perspective on the steady secularization of the church in the States, and the growing move and enticement  of socialism, especially among young people.  He has a message and words of wisdom for his generation, as well as for the Christian believers in the West.

Beraca Baptist Church being a Blessing to their Local Community and to Disaster Victims in Haiti

FROM R. K.’S CORNER

In June last year, I traveled to New York City for a week to sit by the bed of a dear, longstanding friend, Goldie Rotenberg, who was struggling through the last stages of cancer. Sadly, she died a few days after I left.

While in the City, I spent a day with Jeanette Felix, Founder of Children in Need Haitian Project (CNHP) and her co-Director, Sharon Cushing. They are doing a vital work in the mountain region South-East of Port-au-Prince, providing a Bible-based excellent education for the local community’s children grades K through 8. They serve in many other practical ways to help the people rise out of poverty and become healthy, productive families, utilizing the local resources available. The Bridge has at times helped sponsor the school.

View from the CNHP school in the mountains of Haiti

In October, 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti. It destroyed the mountain farmers’ harvest, and ruined many of their homes. Our donors gave generously both then and in 2017 toward relief aid for the island, which we have divided between several partnering ministries serving in Haiti. Of the $2500 given through CNHP, $1000 helped rebuild the home of one of the school’s workers, and another $1000 toward helping the farmers restocking their seed bank for the planting of crops for the upcoming season’s harvest.  See former Bridge posts on this:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2016/10/

Shortly thereafter, Jeanette called me. The mountain farmers had pulled together and were in the process of solving their problems without help from the outside. Would I mind that the Bridge funds given to the mountain farmers through CNHP be directed to another ministry, Beraca Baptist Church, an American-Haitian church in Brooklyn, NY? They have for a number of years successfully been engaged in serving the people of Haiti (Beraca means “Blessing”). With the Bible in one hand, and hammer and plow in the other, they are empowering local people in several communities, like the city of Jeremie, located on the tip of the peninsula to the West of Port-au-Prince. Hurricane Matthew had done landfall there and literally obliterated the city and large swaths of the surrounding countryside. Without clean water, food, and shelter, the people were desperate. Beraca received the funds, due to Jeanette and Sharon’s unselfish generosity in helping those in worse condition than their mountain people. It was used toward the Reforestation Program in Haiti—see report below.

With Pastor Jean-Pierre

The day I visited CNHP, Sharon had set up a meeting with the leaders at Beraca Church. We drove to Brooklyn where we met the Senior Pastor, Mullery Jean-Pierre and two of his co-pastors. There was an immediate rapport between us, as we found we shared like vision and practical approach to serving the Gospel in the nations— it was like meeting family members we had just discovered existed! I gave them another $3000 from one of our generous donors to be used toward their ministry toward single mothers and their children left destitute after the hurricane—see report. In this issue, I present Beraca Baptist Church and their extraordinary outreaches of love to their local community and to Haiti.

VISITING BERACA BAPTIST CHURCH IN BROOKLYN, NY

Le Marron Inconnu—The Unknown Slave, is a bronze statue of a runaway slave, located in front of the Parliament in the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Commemorating the abolishment of slavery, the statue was completed in 1967, and serves as a reminder of the call to rebellion in the colony of Saint-Domingue against the slave-holding France in 1791. It has become the iconic symbol of freedom in Haiti, as well as black people worldwide.

Mini-Replica of Le Marron Innconnu

“What a stunning sculpture!” I exclaimed, “what a vivid symbol of a thirsty man lifting his face toward God and drinking from the Living Water!” Pastor Jean-Pierre smiled, “ That is not exactly the symbolism of this carving”, he explained. During a meeting with him, two of his co-pastors, and Sharon from CNHP who had introduced us, I had been captivated by this expressive wooden carving sitting on the cabinet in his office, not knowing it was a replica of the original statue located in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, which represents the call to rebellion against slavery— see above. “I have never heard this interpretation before. You actually see the Haitian people through the eyes of God’s heart—I believe this  belongs to you, R.K. “ – and with those words, he gave the mini-replica to me. I am honored to have it displayed in our living room as a reminder of the physical and spiritual thirst of those we serve among the peoples of color in the nations.

I believe this gesture of generosity characterizes Pastor Jean-Pierre’s heart which is permeated by Jesus’ love and care for people. He is a Haitian in America who has not forgotten the cry of his own people in Haiti, nor in his city in New York, as he and his team are successfully accomplishing extraordinary things for God in both places!

PASTOR MULLERY JEAN-PIERRE AND HIS TEAM REACHING OUT WITH FAITH, LOVE, AND  HOPE TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND TO HAITI 

Pastor Mullery Jean-Pierre (center) and two of his co-pastors

Mullery Jean-Pierre, Senior Pastor of Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY was born in Haiti to a Haitian father and a Dominican mother. He and his Jamaican wife, Cacheta have six children and seven grandchildren.

Having a Puerto Rican daughter-in-law, an African American son-in-law and a Trinidadian sister-in-law, Mullery feels right at home in leading a multicultural congregation. Under his leadership the church has grown from 80 members to 1200 worshippers; although a predominantly Haitian/Haitian-American church, Beraca is home to 17 other different nationalities.

When Mullery was called out of corporate America, he left his management position at a Wall Street firm and never looked back. Those years prepared him for the many administrative leadership positions to which God has called him to serve.

As Mullery’s desire to reach the community grew, He founded the Beraca Community Development Corporation (BCDC). With his church family, the services to the local community include:

  • Youth development programs.
  • A food pantry.
  • Serving seniors at a local Seniors Adult day care center.
  • Partnering with their local high school to provide employment and mentoring for the students.
  • Partnering with the Districts Attorney’s office’s Alternative Sentencing Program, providing alternative forms of rehabilitation to those who’ve committed misdemeanor or petty crimes.

After the January 12, 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, Mullery and his team extended BCDC from NY to Haiti, where they currently serve the cities of Leogane, Cabaret, Jeremie and Cape Haitian with the outreaches:

  • Training and mentoring Pastors and leaders. They are currently training 1700 leaders.
  • Creating and sustaining approximately 400 jobs through their motorcycle taxis, micro-lending and mini bus services.
  • Conducting mobile medical clinics, bringing healthcare to thousands of underserved Haitians through the local churches in their communities.
  • Training and equipping teachers and principals, providing a good education to their students by the use of certified U.S. Haitian-American teachers.
  • Planting churches that are the hubs for spiritual and socio-economic health and development in the Haitian communities.

The event of Hurricane Matthew not only devastated the region, but also caused food shortages throughout the nation. BCDC began networking with some churches in the area to re-plant what the hurricane destroyed, which now includes hundreds of churches. The Reforestation Project focuses on replanting trees in the denuded countryside to help avoid the continued massive erosion of cultivated land in the region. It is known as the breadbasket of the country, as a good portion of the crops that feed Haiti are grown there.

Teams from Beraca keep traveling to Haiti with needy material, tools, and supplies, and work in partnership with Haitian believers in rebuilding church buildings, community centers, and homes that have been destroyed by the hurricane.

During our meeting, Mullery told us about a ministry which began during one of his trips to Haiti with two of his co-pastors overseeing and participating in various restoration projects. While walking in the streets, women approached and propositioned them. They were told by the local people that literally thousands of women with children have been left destitute after the disaster, either because they are single mothers, or their husbands have left them to go elsewhere to seek for jobs, but then never to return home.

With the community in shambles, no available jobs, food supply or clean water, the women have been forced into the streets to sell the only commodity they have left—their own bodies—to provide just morsels for their family to fend off starvation.

The pastors accepted their offer and paid for two hours of service. However, instead of taking advantage of these desperate women, without condemning them, they gave them food and shared the Gospel—the good news, with emphasis on how much God loves them. They were then offered a basic course in reading and writing. The women willing and committed to change, were then offered training in an income-producing cottage industry. This takes them off the street, regains their dignity and makes them able to provide for themselves and their children. This unique street ministry continues as an outreach by local believers, whereby hundreds of women have experienced the transforming power of the Gospel which has given them a new hope and a future and brought them into a caring community of believers!

The leaders and members of the church family at Beraca live up to its name — BLESSING! They are indeed a blessing to those who encounter God’s love in action through them!

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.” D. l. Moody