A Look Back at 2021

Happy New Year! Or as they say in Haiti, “Bon Ane!” We hope all your holiday celebrations were blessed and that you are facing 2022 with hope and purpose. We wanted to take this opportunity to share an overview of some of the things God has done in Haiti through PLH in 2021 and what we pray He will do in 2022. 

Though this past year was full of challenges, God did so much! 

The PLH campus continues to develop at a steady pace despite increasing material costs and the inability to send volunteers or containers to Haiti. In March, the first basketball court and a bathroom and locker room facility were constructed. In August, the classroom was insulated and the first PLH office created, providing a reception area to welcome students and guests and to carry out registration and business transactions. More than 300 fruit trees were planted throughout the campus and three wells were dug. 

The PLH classes and athletic programs were able to run on their normal schedule, providing training, education, and encouragement for more than 200 players and students. This year, we offered specialized classes in Medical English, Teaching English as a Foreign Language and a Survey of the Bible. The advanced English students, hungry for learning, enjoyed each of these courses. The courses also attracted many new students from nearby areas. We look forward to offering additional specialized courses in 2022.

In 2021, we added four new staff members to the Haiti team. PLH now has 18 salaried staff and 11 contracted workers. Our staff participate in team devotions each morning. This has been a good way for them to grow together and for those with a deeper relationship with Christ to minister to and disciple those who do not have a relationship or are less committed to their faith. As they take on more responsibility, we have seen the staff grow and come together as a team and the leaders step up into their roles. We look forward to continuing to train the staff and add new workers to the mix. 

This fall, PLH sent three young men to start a 3-year study in auto mechanics. Two of these men have been working for PLH for a couple years and the third has been a student in the English program since it launched in 2018. They are excited to have this opportunity to learn a valuable skill, and PLH is excited to have our own well-trained mechanics to work on the PLH vehicles and work in a PLH auto mechanic shop one day. We have also identified two young men to be trained in electricity. They will attend some short-term training workshops until they can join a formal school in the fall of 2022. Qualified, skilled and trustworthy professionals can be hard to find. We are excited to offer these young locals this opportunity and to be able to utilize them for future projects. We hope to provide them with continued training when we are able to bring in experienced professionals from the states. 

With the vocational center being completed in December of 2020, PLH had its own covered, lit, spacious area to host community events. PLH staff and community members came together for worship nights, family date nights, and parties. These special events offered hope, unity and fun for families and individuals. We loved witnessing parents and children laughing and playing together and our staff stepping up to plan and lead these events. 

If God could do all this in 2021, we cannot wait to see what He will do in 2022! More on that in our next blog post next week.

Please Forgive our Mess

By Sara Dessieux

Four years ago, after the Project Living Hope land in Camp Marie had been purchased, our team started creating plans for how the fields, buildings and such would be laid out on the land.  The 3-D renderings looked so snazzy, and I could just envision people walking to and fro on the land participating in all the different learning options available.  I knew it would take years to raise all the funds needed and to complete all the construction, but there is one aspect that I never consider and that is the mess.  Currently, we are very much in the mess phase.

When the very first soccer camp was held on the PLH land, players and coaches were constantly chasing down soccer balls because the land was sloped.  The following year, the land was cut into several different flat areas so now games can be played without the ball rolling downhill.  We are still battling the fact that our piece of land is on a slope and when heavy rains fall the water flows down through every lowest area.  So in addition to putting in the first basketball court last month and building the restroom this month, our concrete workers are also building canals, concrete pads and retaining walls as needed.  It’s not very glamorous work, yet time and money has to be devoted to it.  

There are constantly piles of sand, gravel, blocks and rebar scattered around.  There is always a water barrel, a screen set up to sift the sand, fragments of blocks and empty concrete sacks revealing where the most current work is taking place, and all around it, as we enter the rainy season, mud in various stages of drying out.  Then there is the noise -- our precious backhoe  with an endless to-do list to go with it, dump trucks coming and going, and sometimes a grader or steamroller or both working within a few feet of my English class in session.  There are also our two cement mixers, so loud hour after hour, but at the same time so invaluable.  Over the din, the crew yell back and forth to each other as needed, and I stand there dreaming of the day when the tools can be put away and everyone can have their good clothes on rather than their work clothes.  

Of course, there is much good in the current situation as well.  Our staff is learning to problem-solve together.  Men with no steady jobs are being employed for weeks on end.  Step by step, we are getting closer to having a developed campus.  

We are so grateful for the support you give us.  Without it, we would be so many steps behind where we are now.  At times, the progress seems slow, but when we reflect on how much work has been done in just a few short years, even despite much turmoil in the country and COVID-19, we are humbled and thankful.  I feel confident that within the next two years, much more will have changed.  In the meantime, please forgive our mess.  

Construction Mission Trip: First Campus Buildings!

By Ed Chamberland

In December of 2020, I traveled to Camp Marie, Haiti with a construction team from PLH.  Our task was to put up two buildings and complete some other miscellaneous projects. Here is my daily journal from our trip.

Day 1. It’s a building race. Wayne Howe’s team is putting up the welded steel trusses over the containers which will be the shop. Guy Barth’s team is putting up the prefabricated steel building which will start out for educational classes. Being the first day, the focus was on laying out the buildings on the slab foundations and making adjustments for everything that didn’t fit.

The Guesthouse. I do want to pass on major compliments to Guesly and Sarah and everyone who helped build the new guesthouse. It’s right across the road from the soccer fields. It’s great, and I have no doubt it will be a restful and peaceful place for many teams.

Day 2.  Today was a good and productive day. Both building teams stood up all frames and trusses, and began to place the purlins. Lots of drilling and bolts.

The dirt crew worked on finishing the field drainage system, and finishing the entrance to the property (new pipe and rock). We also started a couple other projects and supported the building crew, literally, with the backhoe.

Day 3 was a great day. The building teams made good progress. Since I am not a building guy, I will just say they kept drilling and bolting and welding and putting more stuff up on the building frames. The metal siding began today, so the buildings will take shape quickly now. 

The dirt crew stepped up their game today when the grader showed up, including an experienced operator. We tackled grading field #2 by the center drainage system. We finished constructing the new driveway connection from the upper building area down to field #1, and graded a new driveway connection from the upper fields down to field #3. Sob fine-graded them with a new drag we made for the mower, which was like icing on the cake. This makes all the fields easily accessible for people, mowers, cars, trucks, etc.  We also staked and graded the main entrance road going from the main gate to the buildings with some nice looking crushed rock, sprucing up the entrance.

I had the chance to walk up to the top of the hill today. Best spot ever. My thought for the day was this. Toby Mac has a song called City on Our Knees. It reminds me of the PLH campus here in Haiti and the bright light that it will be for the community.

Soccer. The soccer teams showed up again for practice, like they do every afternoon. 

Women’s Ministry Event. Laura, Amy, Sue, and Dixie had a craft night upstairs with over 20 ladies from the community complete with cake and worship.

Welcome to Day 4. For those that have been here before, you might know where this headed. You get so tired, you know the week is ending soon, your list ain’t done yet, you are making great friends, you don’t want to leave, but at the same time you can’t wait to get back home. It will hit hard tomorrow. 

I feel like the building teams really shined today because the leaders, Wayne and Guy, are training their crews to work on their own. Putting up the metal siding and metal roofing was done mostly by the Haitian and American laborers with less and less directions from the leaders. It was a beautiful thing, and if you have led a team before, then maybe you can relate. 

The dirt crew had the grader for another day. He worked on field #2 filling in low spots, and field #3 grading it out for use. He found a big wet spot in the middle that needs to dry out, but they can use the ends for practice. He also spread more gravel on the entrance road. The backhoe crew put in double 18” culverts and graded a better connection to the soccer trailer/athletic center and field #2. In fact, I would say that’s one theme of our little projects - better accessibility to/from the soccer facilities. We also rigged up version 2.0 and then 3.0 of the field drag for use behind the mower. Sob pulled it for hours today and made things look really good. 

Day 5 and 6 together. 

To make a long story short, the buildings got finished! The shop/container building finished first. The design turned out so good - like really, really good. It’s tall, spacious, airy and practical all at the same time. The garage/prefab building had a tough time due to missing parts and drawings that had discrepancies. Even still, the shell is 99% done and the inside ready for use. 

The dirt crew did miscellaneous projects - putting out erosion control blankets, working on drainage, lifting welders and workers for the buildings, grading the entrance road, and general cleanup. The cleanup was a major effort as we worked towards an organized and nice looking site. At the end, we staked out the next round of projects - two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and the public bathrooms. The courts fit great in the space provided between the entrance road and the soccer fields. 

Building Dedication. The most special happening of the week occurred last night. Amy and Laura planned the first event in the new shop - a dedication of the two new buildings. We had lights, tables, chairs, decorations, music, and quite a smorgasbord of local food for a group of 50+ workers and guests. It kicked off when Benedic provided a prayer for the event, and an explanation of the new buildings for the local people. Then Wayne stood up and said a few words including thanking the workers for their efforts and all the people for their hospitality. That spirit of gratitude was shared by many on the team. It was a grand evening that truly marked the moment! 

The team. There is no end to the shout-outs for those that made this happen. First, I want to recognize Bob Thatcher for his planning, designing, building, and being the overall construction manager of the trip. We lacked no tools (I think he has stock in DeWalt or something), and the 3 shipping containers included everything we needed (minus a few things the manufacturer omitted). Next, Wayne and Guy did so much putting up two buildings in a week! I know they loved working with their teams and training the guys. At the end of the day, they just get things done, and the results are amazing. We have about 120 years of experience between those 3 guys. How invaluable for PLH! I want to also highlight Josh Bentz for his patience running the backhoe with like 17 people telling him what to do all week long with many not-so-glorious jobs to boot. The two young bucks on the crew were Bryce Whieldon and Logan Classen. It was nice to see them jump in on blended teams and grow their skills. Cool experience for them. Next, (I know this is long) kudos to the Haitian PLH staff too. We have a great crew of about 10 who contribute a lot and who I call good friends after two trips. Benedic is the leader and I respect and trust him more and more each time I see him.

Thanks to God for this opportunity to serve and do his work. I believe He was onsite too, keeping people safe, providing everything we needed, and allowing special relationships to grow. At the end of the day, I believe it’s all about living out and sharing the love of Christ with and for each other. 

News from Haiti: Progress and Passion for the Ministry

By Guesly Dessieux

My family and I arrived back in Haiti on Monday, September 28. We were joined by one of the PLH board members and head of PLH construction, Bob Thatcher. Our hope was that the third container would arrive in Haiti prior to our arrival so we could unload it and set it on the building pad, but unfortunately, it did not. Bob spent his time digging out the drainage line for the Dessieux guest house septic tank, clearing the driveway up to the building pad, and doing lots of road repair. What caught both Bob and I by surprise was how overgrown the PLH property had gotten due to the significant rainfall during the raining season. Our staff was unable to pick up the Cub Cadet zero-turn mower which we had sent to Haiti and our push mower was broken. Sadly, none of the three fields were usable for soccer. What we were happy about is how well the erosion mats had worked to limit the erosion on the slopes around the property.   

Sara, the kids, and I were very pleased with all the progress on the Dessieux guest house. When we arrived, two of the bosses were laying tile purchased in Haiti on the floor upstairs and the windows were being installed. My first week here, I spent time meeting with the PLH staff and going to Port-au-Prince to pick up the riding mower and purchase cabinets, a solar water heater, and more things for the guest house. The staff and I have also been working on the PLH property to address the fields and other areas of the property that were overgrown. Sara and I set up a Bible reading plan to do with the staff. We will read through the New Testament. I also plan to start the men's study, 33 The Series: Man and His Design. 

Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend a championship soccer tournament which was put on by the community not related to PLH and not on the PLH property. Let just say I was uncomfortably surprised and pretty disturbed by what I saw. First of all, I’d always heard about people using voodoo and other mystical practices against their opponents in soccer games but I’d never seen it done myself. While I was standing on the sideline, I saw the two teams come in. The coaches from one of the teams walked out to the center of the field and then into both soccer goals multiple times, apparently casting spells as they spilled some liquid onto the ground from a yellow bucket. I was surprised to see it being done so openly.  When the game started, I saw many people drinking alcohol, smoking, and behaving in godless fashion.  Well, the team that had been using magic, started to lose a game and a major fight broke out. At that point, our operational manager and I decided it was time to leave. 

I cannot begin to say how important it is to give youth a safe place to play where the teaching of the gospel is the primary focus. Sports provide us with the platform that we need to create disciples for Christ. Since its beginning, PLH has been using soccer to minister to youth. This year, we have developed a plan for a soccer academy which would allow for more discipleship, more focused attention and training, and hand-picked, contracted coaches. The academy will launch in November and will keep youth away from these unchristian practices and instead will provide them with positive Christian mentors. To change Haiti, we have to win hearts for Christ.  I ask you to consider supporting the PLH soccer academy.  We have soccer fields ready now and are eager to start that important ministry.

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) 

Brighten The Corner Where You Are - A Mission Experience Story

By Ron Randall

Unexpected Challenges

By Sara Dessieux

We all are facing unexpected challenges right now, aren’t we?  We had much different plans for the second half of this month than what is now actually happening.  Being someone who has experienced living in two very different countries, I can tell you that we are much more used to unexpected obstacles, new fears, and plans being cancelled here in Haiti than we are back in Oregon.  Everytime we return to the states, I am flooded with the realization that everything about everyday life is so much simpler there. Well, in 2020 it seems that the rest of the world is beginning to experience some of what is too often the norm in many third-world countries.   Schools and many other things in Haiti were closed down for months last fall due to the protests and roadblocks. Now they are closed yet again because of the coronavirus. So even though we have joined the minority of people here attempting social distancing, it really does not feel too different than normal.  Yet, we had high hopes for this spring.  

This past week though we did have some great successes.  Bob Thatcher and Dwight Hardin remained with us for a second week of work and Walky Desir joined them.  We hoped they would get to unload and begin using the backhoe, but alas, it is still being held in customs.  The rented bulldozer continued to work on the slopes around the soccer fields, but still at a very slow rate due to mechanical trouble.  Most of the success for the week happened over on a neighboring piece of property that Guesly and I bought last spring. This winter, Bob worked with us on house plans and purchases for a two-bedroom house that will serve as our home when we are in Haiti for now but will eventually be a guesthouse when we build our house.  We opted to build the guesthouse first since it should go faster. Two weeks ago under Bob and Dwight’s supervision, the foundation was dug, forms were built, rebar was tied and laid in place, and the plumbing and electrical were set up. I had prepared myself for it to feel like a slow process so I was amazed at how fast it actually went!  Last Monday, the foundation was mixed, poured and spread, all by hand. Already the walls are starting to go up.  

Another highlight was that after feeling nervous for five days that Bob, Dwight and Walky may not be able to get out of Haiti because Haiti’s president closed all airports, ports and the border, they did successfully fly out and make it back home.  American Airlines ended up being permitted to fly people out. All three of them worked and enjoyed the beach right up until the end. We are so grateful to them for coming but are glad they are now reunited with their families. We had a number of other teams scheduled to come do construction and other things this spring, but of course those trips have all been postponed or cancelled.

Haiti currently has 15 confirmed cases as well as 127 suspected cases.  Testing and treatment here will be even harder to come by than in the states so we are hoping and praying for protection for Haiti.  The Haitian government seems to be taking the threat quite seriously in that they are shutting down or limiting most businesses and are working to educate the population.  We do not yet see many people, other than foreigners, social distancing though. Granted, that would be an incredibly hard thing for people to do here. Most people live with many other people in very small houses in densely populated neighborhoods, and they rely heavily on public transportation and frequent shopping in the market due to no refrigeration.  Guesly, our staff, and the construction workers we’ve hired, will continue to frequent our land, but Guesly has coached them in how to be safe and he and the staff have installed handwashing stations on the land. All PLH English classes and athletic programs have been cancelled until further notice.

We are praying for you and we ask that you in turn pray for Haiti.  Things in this world seem to be changing on a daily basis now. We rest in the truth that our God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He does not change.  

Construction Has Begun!

By Sara Dessieux

For the last nine months, the construction team in Oregon has been making plans, purchasing equipment and supplies, acquiring donations, recruiting volunteers, and packing containers.  Everyone new to Haiti was warned that things can move a lot slower in Haiti and numerous unexpected obstacles will present themselves. All those preparations culminated in a crew of six volunteers from Oregon arriving in Haiti on Monday, March 9 to begin work again on the Project Living Hope Land in Camp Marie.  Bob Thatcher, Dwight Hardin, Ron Randall, Tom Doran, Josh Smith, and Mike Younk were joined by dozens of Haitian men throughout their week of work.  

The team had two main goals: lay drainage pipe throughout the soccer fields to divert rain water and pour concrete foundations for the shop and garage.  We are thrilled to report that they were able to do both of those things. They also hoped to grade the soccer fields and get the backhoe we had purchased out of the container and put it to use, but those jobs will have to wait for another day.  It only seems appropriate. Around the world, plans are falling through. No cases of coronavirus are being reported in Haiti yet, but this country does have its own mountain of problems these days. 

Still the week was an exciting success!  The highlight of the week for me was seeing the shop floor being poured.  Picture six construction volunteers from Oregon, Guesly, several members of our Haiti staff, four Haitian guys we sent to a masonry course last year, a couple other hard working men from the community, and a crew of almost 30 guys from St. Marc that came to actually mix and pour the concrete (which included carrying and dumping in all the cement, sand, rocks and water)!  All the nonstop activity and brute strength required was incredible.  

As is the protocol here in Haiti, all 70+ of the workers were fed a hot lunch at the worksite.  Two of our employees, plus another we hire on a daily basis, began work in their makeshift kitchen around 7am having lunch ready around 12:30pm.  Every day, they made a huge pot of rice and beans and, in another pot, some variety of tasty cooked vegetables flavored with a little meat. They dished it all up into piles of styrofoam boxes.  That was followed up with cleaning the pots and then washing and prepping food for the next day. Later in the week one of the guys bought thirty metal bowls which is enough for normal work days so that we can cut back on the styrofoam.  

Two of the volunteers from Oregon stayed on in Haiti for a second week and will keep working through tomorrow before heading home on Saturday.  There is much left to be done on the PLH land but our crew here in Haiti will keep plugging away and warmly welcome our next team of volunteers whenever they are able to come.  The coronavirus has put the brakes on travel for now. But we are grateful that this past week was able to happen. We appreciate the sacrifice our visitors and their families made, and we feel so blessed with the team of Haitian people God has brought together for us.  

The weeks and months ahead are full of uncertainties for all of us and so we draw comfort from Bible passages like this:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Josh Smith sent daily reports to keep the construction team informed and entertained.  For those of you who enjoy knowing all the details, here is a summary of their days:

Pictured above: Bob, left. Mike, center. Josh, right.

Monday - The team walked the land with many members of the PLH staff.  We know just having them show up ready to get to work was so encouraging to our staff after our family’s 8-month absence and the Haiti-wide protests and lockdown.  The team went through the pipes and parts that had been delivered in Container #1 and then a carload of men went to nearby St Marc to retrieve tools from Container #2 that was still being held at customs.

Tuesday - A rented bulldozer that was supposed to be delivered Monday arrived at 2pm.  Everyone soon discovered it could only drive slowly so for the whole week dirt moving did not happen very fast.  Men went back to St. Marc on Tuesday to get forms and lots of other concrete supplies out of Container #2. Some of the pieces were very big and everything had to be carried over the backhoe which was still in the doorway of the container.  Lots of sweating happened. An expected excavator never arrived, but drainage pipe was laid out and joined into 80-foot sections. A crew began digging the shop foundation by hand.

Wednesday - The excavator arrived and shipping container #1, which was now empty, was lifted off the trailer chassis using the excavator, bulldozer and chains.  Yet again, men had to go into St. Marc to get more supplies. This time no box truck was available so everything was loaded into a dump truck. Most of the forms for the shop foundation were put in place, the excavator dug a trench between the two soccer fields, and gabions were placed where the pipe will drain. 

Josh wrote, “The heat was in full GO MODE today. The group drank tons of water. The Haitian people are very giving, loving and humble. Willing to jump into any situation, regardless of whether they know how to do the work or not.  I personally continue to learn from the culture, the pace of life, the impactful people. America has very little in common. Starting at breakfast...Americans may say, what’s up? Hello. Etc... But Haitian folks actually ask, How are you this morning? How did you sleep? Genuine questions, expressing care.”

Thursday - The team installed 300 feet of pipe and all went well until the excavator blew a hydraulic hose at 3pm.  The Haitian operator headed to Port-au-Prince to retrieve a new one. The forming was finished for the shop foundation and a portable cement mixer was delivered.  The rented roller showed up late Wednesday, but then the bulldozer and roller began working on rebuilding the slope around the soccer fields.  

Friday - The shop foundation was divided into three sections and two sections were poured today.  A crew of about 30 Haitian men came to pour the cement. Josh wrote, “Never have I thought in all my years of doing concrete could something be completed with that massive amount of labor. We poured approximately 30 cubic yards in the burning hot sun. Every one of us Americans, at times, had to take a break, feeling on the edge of heat stroke, but all persevered. Every bucket of sand, rock, cement, and water was packed with 5-gallon buckets. The two mixers used were those that would have been removed from a US rental fleet years ago, but they worked. Got it done. It was fun to teach and watch the Haitians continue to "catch on" to finishing techniques. Part of the joy of doing this trip has been teaching folks how to do something new. Something they may only do once in their life, but you can tell by facial expressions it’s impactful.” 

The excavator was fixed around noon and more trench was dug and more pipe was laid.  The team was able to leave the land early around 4:00 and went to the beach to swim.

Saturday - The remaining section of the shop foundation was poured while part of the crew finished setting up the forms for the garage.  Then three-fourths of that foundation was poured. The rest of the crew finished digging all the trenches for the pipe.  

Sunday - The team worked for several hours before attending church at 10:30. They finished up all the remaining pipework in the soccer fields and removed and cleaned the forms from the garage.  Four out of the six guys headed to Port-au-Prince to fly out in the morning.

+++ If you’re among the people who have read this far, you may be wondering about the current status on the containers.  Container #1 is sitting next to the shop pad ready to be moved into place to become part of the shop. Container #2 containing the backhoe is still in St. Marc being held by customs.  Container #3 was loaded with the two metal buildings yesterday in Oregon. A team of volunteers there worked for hours to maneuver everything into place. We hope to see it in Haiti sometime in April. 

THE VISION

Written by Guesly Dessieux, Founder and Executive Director

As we enter a new year, I believe that God has great plans for Project Living Hope, the people of Camp Marie, and the people of Haiti. A few years ago when I started talking about this idea, this big vision and dream of starting an organization that empowers people and creates disciples, I was sure my wife thought I was crazy. She knows I don’t do things small. For me, it’s always “go big or go home.” Sometimes, we can have such huge dreams that we are afraid to even talk about them, but this was something I wanted to share with others and act on, no matter how big the task seemed.

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul refers to God as, “Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”  Like anybody, I sometimes battle the fear that I am not capable of succeeding at this, but I always come back to believing that God can do something huge through us. Do you believe that? That God can do immeasurably more in you and through you than you could ever imagine? Is He just waiting for you to take the needed steps in obedience?

We believe that God wants to use Project Living Hope to reach more people for Christ. Our vision as an organization is to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. We focus on purposefully training up strong, future disciples that will have a heart for Christ and that will train up more disciples. We want this movement to change Haiti. Right now, there are 11 million people that live in Haiti with less than 20% of the population being devoted Christians. As an organization, we want to be part of reaching both young and old for Christ. We focus primarily on reaching Haiti’s next generation for Christ through purposeful discipleship and we believe that God can do immeasurably more through them to change their families, their friends, their communities, and their country than they could ever imagine. We are not looking for a quick fix but are undertaking a process that takes time and requires investing in relationships.

THE KING CENTER

We are planning four weeks of construction this March to place drainage pipes, resurface the soccer fields for future turf placement, address erosion, and build a shop and garage. We have purchased three shipping containers to send equipment and materials to Haiti. The first two shipped out in late January and include the backhoe, miscellaneous tools, erosion control materials, HDPE pipe, tables and chairs for the English class, and balls and cleats for the soccer program. The third one will follow in February and include the building materials. We may face obstacles and setbacks but we move forward in faith knowing God can do immeasurably more than we can ever imagine.

FIRST TWO BUILDINGS

These first two buildings will allow us to start offering job skills programs as well as provide a shaded area for Bible training with the children and youth in our sports programs and for staff meetings and trainings. It will temporarily house English classes until we are able to build the education center.

• Is God asking you use your talents and skills to be part of His story in Haiti and go on a trip with us this year? For more information click here.

• Would you donate financially to the programs and building projects?  To give, click here.

We believe that God can do immeasurably more through each one of you than you could ever imagine. Thank you for your support and prayers!

PRAY FOR HAITI AND AN END TO PROTESTS

Thank you for your support of Project Living Hope and the Haitian people.  We wanted to give you a brief update about the PLH construction work in Haiti and some of the events that have been happening in the country over the last few weeks.

We started the first phase of construction on our property at the beginning of February. Even though there were some setbacks, we had an incredibly successful first week.  We will be posting a second blog post with updates about the construction in a few days. We will have some great stories to share with you! Unfortunately, we were not able to proceed with the second week of work due to the continued national fuel shortage and protests that broke out throughout the country.  This cut off our supply of fuel to power our equipment and made it difficult for the organization housing our team to power their generators or replenish food and water supplies. We made the difficult call to halt the construction project until things return to normal and brought our excavation team members home to the US.  We are so thankful for the work that was completed, the commitment of the volunteers, and the safe journeys home.

Haiti has been experiencing inflated prices, fuel shortages, a drop in the value of the Haitian currency, and a lack of confidence in the government. This, along with opposing political parties trying to get back into power, led to 10 days of nationwide protests and roadblocks, beginning February 7th. The people are tired -- tired of living with a bad economy, government corruption, and roadblocks and protests. But it is not the general population that protests in the streets and causes roadblocks. These are mainly young, unemployed men who have been hired to shut down Haitian life to push an agenda. Workers sit at home losing their much needed pay, students miss days of school, hospitals run out of oxygen and other supplies, businesses and stores remain closed, and families run out of fuel, food, and drinking water.  

Though protests are a common occurrence in Haiti, this last round was more widespread and lasted longer than normal. Things have been a lot calmer this week (though many roads are still blocked), but we are waiting to see if it is just a respite or if this round of protests has died down. We will be assessing the situation over the next week and establishing a plan for the construction project and our upcoming visiting team trips. If widespread protests continue, we will not send visiting teams to Haiti as the roadblocks prohibit travel between Port-au-Prince and our community of Camp Marie. The safety of our visitors and Haitian staff is always our number one concern, and we also do not wish for those giving of their time to come down and not be able to experience Haiti fully. We are optimistic that the situation will continue to quiet down and we can resume with the project and planned trips.

Our community of Camp Marie and the surrounding areas remained fairly calm. Our staff helped care for our visitors, stepped up as the leaders they are within their community, and continued to move to advance the mission of Project Living Hope.  The Haitian people are hopeful and resilient. This is not the first time that they have had to deal with protests, nor will it be the last. In times like these, we see them come alongside and help support one another in amazing ways.

We ask you to continue to pray for Haiti. Even when these protests die down and life returns to normal, the issues will remain. There is much to be done in Haiti. When facing these situations, we are reminded that Haiti needs jobs. If these young men had employment, they would not be protesting. Haiti is facing many challenges, but we have faith that God can overcome these and we must faithfully continue the work that He is calling us to do -- to empower the Haitian people to build a stronger Haiti. Thank you for praying with us for positive change and forward movement.

Would you like to hear more about Guesly and Sara’s recent trip to Haiti, the construction project, the situation in Haiti, and how you can be praying? We have two opportunities for you to hear from Guesly and Sara firsthand and join us in prayer for the Haitian people:

• Monday, February 25th at Foothills Church in Stayton at 6pm. Dessert will be served.

• Monday, March 11th at Garden Way Church in Eugene at 7pm. Pie will be served

PLH Mass Grading Project: Groundbreaking News

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

February 2, 2019 was a monumental day, we broke ground on the Project Living Hope property and began the mass grading work that is needed for construction of the King Center! It’s a huge milestone and it’s only just the beginning!

Project Living Hope Founder and President Guesly Dessieux, the Dessieux Family, Camp Marie Mayor, Mary Lourdes, the construction team, our Haitian Staff, and dozens of community members came out early Saturday morning to mark the occasion. This is an exciting new chapter and we are so thankful for all of your prayers and support that made this monumental day possible!

PLH President and Founder Guesly Dessieux standing on the first location to be at finish grade elevation.

TIMELINE

We are tackling this project in phases as it is a large under-taking. Below is a rough idea of the project phases:  

• 2017

  • Property acquisition of 20 acres

• 2018

  • Site survey 

  • Campus master plan 

  • Geotechnical investigation 

  • Road construction to the site

  • Grading of temporary soccer field 

• 2019 

  • Mass grading of building pads, pond, on-site roads, and soccer fields

  • Water well

  • Perimeter fencing

  • Shop construction 

  • Retrofit road with drainage crossings

• 2020-2021

  • Utility systems (water, sewer, power)

  • Building construction 

  • Soccer field turf installation

MASS GRADING WORK

We are thankful for the volunteers and champions for giving their time, talent, and treasure. Progress has proceeded well so far. We have a committed and focused team with a great vision, and a welcoming community in Haiti. We have consulted with project managers, engineers and construction professionals. There is approximately 88,000 cubic yards of material that needs to be moved.  It has been estimated that it will take two-months to complete the grading and excavation of the site. We have skilled operators from the US working alongside Haitians to complete this project. We have had more than a dozen volunteers commit to the project and it’s been amazing to see God assemble the teams and work out all the many details. We are still recruiting for teams that will be traveling at the end of February and early March. We are specifically looking for people experienced in operating D7 bulldozer, 336 excavator, 966 front loader, roller, and haul truck.  We will also need the leadership of a project manager / site superintendent to manage the work, and a surveyor or grade checker to help make sure the grading work is completed according to plan. The trip costs approximately $1500 per person, which includes airfare, accommodations, food and transportation. All travel arrangements will be taken care of by Project Living Hope. If you cannot afford the cost, but are willing to donate your time, we have some scholarships available. If you are interested in being on a team or supporting a team member, please contact us.  A ton of planning, preparing, organizing and prayer has gone into this project and we are so thankful for everyone that has helped make this possible!

Would you like to give a one-time or monthly gift designated to the building fund?