You are probably sitting in a chair right now. If not, you’ve probably sat in one at some point today. We don’t think about chairs. They are just there. Waiting for us to sit down. Have you ever thought about how you take a chair for granted?
In the town of Onaville, Haiti, resources are so scarce that people bring their own chair to church or to school. Can you imagine having to carry around your own seat? Nothing comes easy in Onaville. Unless you provide it yourself, you don’t even have a chair to sit on.
The Haitian government created the village of Onaville to help victims of the 2010 earthquake. Residents in the tent cities of Port au Prince were offered land in Onaville as a way to help them resettle. Haitians who have taken the leap and moved out to Onaville are finding life just as hard as it was in the tent cities. Onaville was established without first creating any basic infrastructure. The residents of Onaville now have their own piece of land, but they have very little beside that. Free land is a good step towards helping Haitians in the recovery process, but there is still much to be done. Homes are constructed out of scrap materials. Food and water are in short supply. In short, Onaville needs help.
Mission Discovery along with the help of local pastors and other non-profit ministries are working towards improving the situation on the ground in Onaville. In 2014, short-term teams constructed a church, broke ground for a super kitchen, and dug a well that now provides water to hundreds of residents each week. The work continues even when our teams are not on the ground.
On the most recent mission trip to Haiti, Mission Discovery teams were able to build benches and chairs for a church in Onaville. Such a simple construction project speaks volumes to the progress of this community. Something as simple as chairs in a church is confirmation that God is taking care of the needs of Onaville. Looking ahead to 2015, we are very excited to continue the work in Onaville. Mission Discovery will lead short-term mission trips to Haiti with the goal of constructing more infrastructure, providing free medical clinics, and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ. Please prayerfully consider being a part of the good work being done in Haiti.
