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 As the sun comes up on the little island of Hispanola located only
750 miles from the coast of Miami, Florida, suffering such as many
folks have never imagined will take place. Haiti, the eastern
part of the island, is the poorest nation in the Western
Hemisphere. It has about 6 million people, 70 percent of which
are unemployed and uneducated. Haiti, once called the Pearl of
Caribbean, has been devastated by revolution and ignorance. The land
has been stripped of its trees that were cut for charcoal and never
replanted. The national religion, Voodoo, has captured the minds of the
people taking all their hope of freedom. Many have never heard of
the Good News of Jesus.
Haiti
is the land of little children. Children are everywhere -- boys
and girls, who without the help of missions would not only starve to
death, but would never be able to receive an education or a word of
encouragement. The country is controlled by a very oppressive
government that is not interested in the welfare of the public and even
takes much of the aid that is sent in from other countries. The
average annual income for a Haitian is $246.
For over 20 years Charles and Margaret Hyder have done all they could
to help the boys and girls of Haiti through the ministry of Pastor John
Edmond and Calvary Baptist Church, Sarthe, Haiti. Pastor Edmond began
his ministry in 1968 with only a few children meeting on the front
porch of a blind woman’s home. Working through Christians who
have contributed, prayed, and gone on short term mission trips to
Haiti, God has brought this ministry to the establishment of 22
churches and schools with 15,000 students, and an orphanage. Each
student is provided a uniform, a hot meal at noon, and an
education. The educational program spans kindergarten through
high school and vocational training in nursing and sewing. In sewing
classes the girls are trained by making uniforms used in the schools.
Calvary Baptist Church of Sarthe, the mother church for this ministry,
has carried out the New Testament concept of birthing churches. In
addition to pastoring the large church, Pastor Edmond oversees the
other churches/schools where he has assigned associate pastors, head
masters, and teachers to carry out the ministry. Thursdays in the
schools are set aside for Bible study and prayer. The teachers
not only teach in the schools, but also teach and work in the churches
on Sundays. Most churches are located in very poor mountainous or
desert areas where the people depend on Pastor Edmond to help them in
many ways. Pastor Edmond is a conservative, evangelistic,
Bible-believing, godly man who has faithfully served the Lord for
years. After his call to the ministry, he properly prepared
himself by obtaining a Bible Degree from the Bible Institute of Haiti.
 Charles and Margaret Hyder first met John Edmond in 1979. At that
time, he had approximately 33 orphans living in a small frame building,
with bunks stacked three-high and one outdoor toilet for all the
kids. They knew God wanted them to provide a better life for
these children that had no family. Charles and Margaret Hyder begin to
tell the story of these pitiful children that Pastor Edmond had picked
up on the streets. The Hyders carried people from America to see the
conditions for themselves. Because of God’s love and broken hearts,
property was purchased and money collected for building the New Life
Orphanage. It is now home to 78 boys and girls. The orphans are
provided three meals daily, medical treatment, clothing, education, and
much love. A compound was established which includes a school for 800
students.
Some of the orphans have now grown up and teach in the schools or work
in the orphanage. Franz, raised in the orphanage and a graduate the
Bible Institute of Haiti, is Pastor Edmond’s assistant in the Calvary
Baptist Church of Sarthe. He is married to a young lady also raised in
the orphanage who teaches in the orphanage school. These two young
people are good examples of the difference Christian upbringing and
education can make in the future of Haiti.
Necessities of life are hard to find and to afford in Haiti because of
the desperate poverty. Pastor Edmond has located a young doctor, who
will help him with the medical needs of the orphans. Our vision is to
have a clinic in the compound so people in the community can also
receive medical treatment there. It’s not uncommon to see people
lined up by 4:00 in the morning when people learn that a medical team
is to be in their community. They are so desperate for help that
they will stand all day and return the next day just to see a doctor or
nurse and receive medicine. You see, mothers there love their children
as much as we do here. In Haiti one out of every two children
dies at birth. The World Health Organization reports that the
average lifespan for a Haitian is 46 years; in America our lifespan is
in excess of 70 years.
We have a vision for Haiti – doing everything we can to provide the
hope of Jesus to this hurting nation. We can show God’s love to as many
people in Haiti as possible by educating boys and the girls who are the
future of the country, alleviating pain and suffering, providing food
so bodies and minds can be healthy enough to overcome oppression.
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